SINNERS

I have been waiting on Sinners since it was announced last year. Seeing it opening weekend was a must!

Sinners mostly takes place over the course of a single day in 1932. It features Michael B. Jordan playing twins Smoke & Stack, opening a juke joint and gathering their friends and loved ones for the grand opening. The party is jumping jumping, until a trio of vampires arrive and ruin the whole night.

Here’s my random string of thoughts about this masterpiece of a movie:

I was a little nervous about Michael B. Jordan playing twins. I didn’t know what that would look like. Well, give that man an Academy Award because that was amazing. They were two completely different people with different stories and he played off of himself so well.

-

In the beginning, the vampire was literally running away from the Native Americans. They tried to help but were ignored. I feel like that was very intentional because of the history of this nation. They gave a warning and went back to protect themselves because the sun was setting soon. They basically said, “Ok-FAFO.”

-

Preacher Boy had the craziest night of his life. He experienced true evil. But his musical gift was more powerful than that and he could not turn away from it. At the end, he runs back to church. However, he cannot put that guitar down. He met the DEVIL. The devil prayed with him and tried to baptize him! Sammie goes to the church, to his father/Father for refuge but still chose his gift. Everything he thought he knew about church and prayer was turned upside down that night. But he still chose his God given gift in the end and it brought him so much success.

Remmick wanted Sammie’s gift. He talks about how the white man stole from him all those hundreds of years ago and forced their religion on him and his people, but he is still white and still evil and wanted to collect Sammie for his gift. Everyone else was expendable and collateral damage. Very on brand.

-

I didn’t care about Stack & Mary- I cared about Smoke & Annie. That was real love that was torn apart by some pain that we got catch a glimpse of in just a few short hours. It was so powerful that Annie knew her baby was waiting on her in the afterlife. She also knew Smoke would soon join them and they would all be at peace. I believe she saw the outcome of the night and that is why she made that statement. In the end, Smoke taking the mojo bag off meant he was ready to reconnect with Annie and his baby. He always believed in her gift and knew that she was telling the truth about better waiting on the other side. Her love and magic protected him through the years, and even when Stack tried to bite him, her magic protected him from his own brother.

-

Since Mary was white passing, it’s so crazy how her and Stack could only be together once they were turned. That is why Mary screamed the way she did when Smoke drove the stake through Annie’s heart. She wanted them ALL to be together forever. Seeing that 60 years later, her and Stack were walking around living their own twisted kind of happily ever after was really poetic.

-

The biggest theme of this film to me was how powerful Black people and our gifts can be. Sammie’s gifts are what saved the day. The film also really shows, now matter how we try to mind our business, racism is always waiting and watching. Smoke killing all the klansmen and saving the conniving grand dragon for last was *chefs kiss*

-

This movie made me think a lot about one of my favorite episodes of my favorite show, Supernatural. The episode, “Crossroad Blues” is an introduction to the crossroads demon and is inspired by and mentions the story of Robert Johnson. Robert Johnson was a blues player who is said to have met the devil at the crossroads and sold his soul for the ability to be the best Blues player. In recent interviews, Ryan Coogler has mentioned this story and said that it is more than likely that Robert Johnson didn’t meet a crossroads demon or the devil; he met Papa Legba- an African deity. I’m so glad this movie shows not just Christianity, but also African religion and spirituality.

-

Sammie’s father made it seem like the blues is what conjures evil. While Sammy’s gift as a griot did attract Remmick, Blues music is more about sharing our history, our pain, and our traditions.

Music has always been our expression and how we relate to and connect to each other. Seeing the juke joint scene of how Sammie’s music was bringing together the past, present, and future was magical. One of my favorite sayings is “They love our rhythm but hate our blues.” This movie was truly a representation of that.

-

I loved this movie so much. It’s instantly a new favorite of mine. The only time I’ve seen a movie twice in theaters was Get Out- one of my favorite movies. I already have plans to go see Sinners AGAIN.

Second Time's the Charm: The Nun II

5 years ago I told y'all how I went to go see The Nun and I did not like it. At. All. What I never updated you on is that over the years, the movie has totally grown on me. While it is not my favorite movie in The Conjuring universe, I enjoy watching it and this created an excitement to see the sequel, The Nun II.

The sequel picks up 4 years after the original movie. Sister Irene is called to save the world again as it has become clear that the demon from the first film still lives on. She is reunited with Maurice in a French boarding school as she learns that the demon has latched itself to him. 

The sequel is full of jump scares and moments where I had to watch through my fingers (the newsstand scene was INTENSE)! However, something that my friends and I have discussed is this plot hole- at the end of the original Nun movie, they attempt to tie Maurice to the Warrens by showing them exorcise him. I believe this should have been left out and saved for this movie. At the end of The Nun II, we see the Warrens receive a call to jump into action. At what point do they exorcise him if he is rescued with Sister Irene's help at the conclusion of this move? Is it me? Am I the drama? Because it just is not adding up to me.

Overall, this movie was such a good time. I loved Storm Reid's character and I would love to see her come back for a third movie. 

Have you checked out The Nun II yet? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

New Year - New Scares: The Grudge

Happy New Year, positive vibrations, and all those good things! I know it’s been a while- I was out here island hopping and such for the holidays. But in 2020 I promise to bring you more posts about all things horror!

I saw my first horror movie of the year this weekend- The Grudge. I remember seeing the ones from the early 2000s and thinking that they were cool, but I wasn’t pressed to watch them over and over again like I do other movies. So I was a little apprehensive about going to see this new one, but you know I never pass up an opportunity to see a horror movie!

 The film begins in Tokyo in 2004, the same timeframe as the original Grudge movie. Fiona Landers is working a job there and decides she is too creeped out and wants to return home to her family in Pennsylvania. The movie then jumps to 2006 to introduce us to Detective Muldoon, a widowed mother, and her new partner, Det. Goodman. After that the movie jumps between 2004, 2005, and 2006 so much that you will get dizzy if you’re not paying close attention. In this timeframe we ae introduced to everyone who will be affected by the curse: The married realtors who tried to sell the Flanders home before they died, an elderly couple that move into the house the next year, Detective Goodman’s partner who worked the original case, and a nurse that visited the elderly couple. The time hop throughout the movie shows how the curse affects everyone who has entered the house but can be a bit confusing at times. By the end of the movie, you will see how everyone is connected, but the back and forth of the years wasn’t really necessary. There are so many characters and we have to learn about every single back story so we can create an emotional connection (I guess that’s what the writers were trying to do) that it becomes really overwhelming. There are so many people we have to care about that it makes you wonder if Detective Muldoon is really the main focus of this movie.

The Grudge is definitely suspenseful but a lot of the jump scares don’t work. There are lots of shadows in the background and things that pop out at you but the movie only really gets intense in the last 20 minutes. Detective Muldoon thinks she has figured out a way to save everyone – burn down this cursed house! As the viewer you know this won’t work because clearly the curse followed Fiona from Japan but ok white woman burn your little house down I guess. My cousin made a hilarious point that made me laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe. The house is located at 44 Reyburn Drive. According to my cousin, from the beginning they were telling us, “she rey burn this house down.” I cried y’all.

Overall, this movie was not horrible. I don’t think it was a good idea to have the movie jump between the years and involve so many different characters. The movie is only 94 minutes long and there are almost a dozen characters we have to see individual storylines for. The cliffhanger ending leads me to believe there could be a sequel. I’m good luv, enjoy.  

A Clown Scarier Than Your Ex!

Once again... better late than never!

Now before we begin this review, I would like to discuss my black ass experience going to see It Chapter Two. After all, this blog is called Black Girl Horror for a reason.

So I pop up at my local black theater on a Thursday afternoon. The theater was surprisingly full for an 11:50 am screening. I guess everyone decided to get like me and take a mental health day. Now we all know whatever time the movie is supposed to start is really just the beginning of the trailers. So 10 minutes go by and no trailers. No one else seems to be bothered by this but I’m getting antsy seeing as how the movie is nearly 3 hours long. So an additional 10 minutes go by and I’ve had enough. I go find a staff member and tell him what’s going on and his response was, “Well are you in the right theater?” A valid question because one time I did sit in the wrong theater. However. Today was not that day. So he follows me to the theater and was like oh yea you’re right. Sir I know! So he radios for an explanation and they say there’s a delay. How much y’all willing to be the projector man was taking shots of Ciroc upstairs and forgot to press play? They then proceeded to play a good 25 minutes of trailers. Almost an hour later... I finally got to see the movie *cheers and screams*

Now for the real reason you are here!

At almost 3 hours long, It Chapter 2 has lots and lots of time to be scary af. The sequel to 2017’s It picks up 27 years later. Everyone except Mike has left Derry, Maine. But when the murders start happening again Mike has to call in the Loser’s Club to finish what they started all those years ago.

I loved how the movie used flashbacks from what happened 27 years ago after the first chapter ended to show how all of the characters split and ended up where they are now. Something about leaving Derry makes you forget where you came from so Mike forces everyone to remember what happened before to make them strong enough to take on Pennywise. It’s nice to see that mostly everyone is leading very successful lives despite their childhood trauma. Unfortunately for Beverly, she married a man just like her abusive father- but I was so happy to see her escape him in her return to Derry.

A lot of people have said they found this movie scarier than the first. I find them equally scary but I love how this movie wrapped up the story. We learn more about the origins of Pennywise plus we find out how the Losers Club split not too long after defeating him the first time. While the movie wasn’t a happy ending for everyone, I was happiest about Beverly and Ben riding off into the sunset together. That brought me joy.

As always, feel free to share your thoughts below!

Scary Stories to Tell With the Lights on Cuz I’m Scared

If you’re like me, you grew up excited to go to the Scholastic Book Fair at school. I was always extra excited to go because for me, that meant new Goosebumps books. My love for all things scary began at a very young age. When I found out that another childhood favorite book, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was going to become a movie I was thrilled.

The movie adaption combines some of the most popular stories in the book such as “Harold” and “The Red Spot” and weaves them into one story. The movie is set in 1968 and begins on Halloween. Friends Stella, Auggie, Chuck, Ramon, and Ruth end up in their local haunted house after running from bullies. The house belonged to the Bellows family, whose daughter Sarah was said to have murdered children in the town many years prior. After leaving the house and stealing Sarah’s book of stories, things get extra spooky. Stella and her friends quickly learn that the stories are writing themselves and they are the main characters.

Something to keep in mind is that even though we read these stories as kids, we’re grown now. And this is essentially a movie for kids. So some moments can seem kind of cheesy. It is, after all, rated PG-13. However, despite that is is still a very solid movie. The scares are genuine and the movie has a great plot. I’m sure it was hard to weave these different stand alone stories together to make one screenplay and add character depth but I think the writers did a good job.

Based on the ending it seems we will certainly get a sequel. I’m interested in seeing how they will be able to continue this storyline while bringing more scary stories to life.

Which story from the books was your favorite as a kid? Drop a comment and let me know!

Hey Ma, What's Up?

Been gone for a minute but I’m back with the jump off. 

Hey guys! I know it’s been a little while- I was out here traveling the world and spreading this black girl magic across Caribbean islands. But you know I couldn’t stay away from my love of horror! As soon as I came back I headed to the theaters to see Ma. It was interesting. Let’s discuss.

Ma tells the story of Maggie and her friends, high school kids who need to find an adult to buy them alcohol. That’s where Ma (played brilliantly by Octavia Spencer. She is a beast!) comes in. She is nice enough to buy the kids liquor AND give them a safe space to drink so they don’t run around town drinking and driving. What follows next is pure crazy. Ma becomes a super stalker, adding all of the kids on social media and popping up at school with a case of liquor. Her house becomes the party house for all of the kids and when Maggie and her friends start to get creeped out by Ma and want to keep their distance her crazy goes into overdrive.

I think my main issue with this movie is all of the different plot twists that the writers tried to add. It was like playing connect the dots. First, we realize that Maggie and her boyfriend’s parents went to school with Ma. They were involved in some horrible prank that scarred Ma forever. We also learn that a girl we see for literally 5 seconds at the beginning of the movie is Ma’s daughter that she keeps locked away in the house because Ma has Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. Like, why? What does that have to do with her being teased in high school?

There is also minor character development with Maggie and her mom. You enjoy their relationship and you know that they have moved back home due to her mom’s divorce but that’s about it. Ma explores so many topics and character plot points but then kind of lets them fall flat.

Something that I found interesting was the way they wanted to touch on racism but never completely made it all the way there. Ma holds a gun early on in the movie and makes a joke saying, “What y’all think I’m Madea?” I found that extra funny just because the point being made is that Madea is such a stereotypical black character. But don’t get me started on my Tyler Perry and black stereotype tangent. We would be here all day. Also, at the end of the movie, Ma paints the only black kid’s face white. She even says, ‘There is only room for one of us.” I feel like if there was going to be so many racial undertones in the movie then it should have been explored a little deeper. Instead, the jokes and odd comments felt uncomfortable and out of place.

I did enjoy Ma. The word I keep using when people ask how I feel is “interesting.” The storyline was interesting. It reminded you of different movies you have seen before like Carrie and Misery… but then had its own personal twist. Octavia Spencer truly saved the movie because of how WELL she played crazy. If it wasn’t for her I would have probably hated the movie but she really kept the movie exciting. The ending was also so strange. She lets everyone escape just to go upstairs, lay in bed, and die in the fire? Weird. Just weird. So like I said, the movie was interesting. Just…interesting.

Glass: The Only Time We Get to See Black Crack?

20 years later we got the completion to a trilogy we never knew we needed. Glass picks up where Split left off. We learn what happened to David Dunn after he accepted he was a superhero- he has spent all these years seeking vigilante justice with his son by his side. Determined to catch the beast, he embarks on a mission to catch him and save his new hostages. In the midst of their battle he gets captured by Ellie Staple, a doctor who wants to work with them and the infamous Mr. Glass to cure them of the delusion of them being superheroes. 

This movie kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole time. Not much about it was predictable, especially the ending. *Spoiler alert* I certainly did not expect all of them to die. I was so angry for a good two minutes. But then I realized it had to happen in order for Mr. Glass to win. And what’s better than a black man coming out on top?

My anger really came from the fact that we waited almost twenty years for this conclusion to have David Dunn die. I was so devastated. Of course the beast had to die. Mr. Glass? I guess. But David Dunn Lawd?! I felt like Jada Pinkett Smith when she fell out in Kingdom Come! 

I also was really disappointed in the final showdown. I was so hyped up for this big battle to take place on Philly's tallest building and wow... it takes place in a parking lot. It’s like wanting Popeyes but you get a chicken box instead. The chicken is still really good but it’s not the taste you had in mind. You get me?

Overall I really enjoyed Glass. I know this movie is supposed to be a trilogy but I would love to see how the secret society falls after the world finds out about superheroes. 

What were your thoughts about Glass?

Halloween (But Not the Tyler Perry Version)

In today’s episode of “White People do Dumb **** in Scary Movies” I present to you Halloween (2018). The fact that after 40 years, Michael Myers is still out here killing people who are running at full speed while he is doing a smooth pimp stroll is beyond me, but nonetheless, this was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. 

The new Halloween is a “sequel” to the original. We are supposed to forget any movie that came after the original in 1978. We are supposed to forget they said Jamie Lee Curtis was his sister and we are even supposed to forget about Busta Rhymes running from Michael too. Weirdly enough, forgetting all the sequels really worked. This movie picks up 40 years after the Halloween night Michael Myers murdered Laurie Strode’s friends and almost killed her. We learn that life after this night hasn’t been a crystal stair for Laurie. Two podcasters come to interview her and we learn she has two failed marriages and a daughter that doesn’t really bang with her like that. She lives in a heavily guarded house in the woods, waiting for the day Michael comes for her to finish what they started all those years ago. 

Of course after this, lots of murder ensues. Overall, this was a really solid movie. Although it was not extremely scary, it had an excellent plot and a couple of jumps throughout. There was even some comedic relief in the form of little Julian. Julian was legit the smartest character in the movie. Why? Because he knew to get tf low when Michael came in his house. And why did he get low? Because Julian was black and his parents taught him well. Chile, I was so frustrated with all of the other characters just standing around instead of escaping when Michael came for them. For instance, the podcaster trapped in the bathroom had AMPLE opportunity to get low but she sat in that stall holding onto that crowbar like she was about that action. I wanted to throw my phone at the screen. 

I really loved the character development between Laurie, her daughter Karen, and her granddaughter Allyson. We learn that their relationships have not been great over the years but when things go left this family really stuck together. Something else that was important to me in this movie is that it felt genuine. A lot of film and tv reboots try to force it down your throat that we are now in 2018 as opposed to whenever the original came out (hello Charmed reboot). But this felt like we just picked up in Laurie’s life all these years later and we didn’t have to be consistently reminded of how much time had passed. 

This was the perfect October release getting us ready for everyone’s fave holiday. Share your thoughts below!

Same Struggle, Different Day: Tales from the Hood 2 Steps Into the Present

Tales from the Hood is one of my favorite scary movies (I know- I say this a lot. But my scary movies are ranked in different categories. Leave me alone sis). If you are unfamiliar with this classic 90s anthology movie I suggest you check it out. The movie, executive produced by Spike Lee, discussed issues plaguing the African American community (police brutality, gang culture, etc.) and turned them into horror stories. This concept is also what I believe made Get Out so popular- real issues dramatized and turned into our greatest fears as African Americans. The stories in that movie all resonated with me. Even at a young age I understood the powerful messages behind the short stories. So imagine my delight when one of my friends sent me a link to the poster for Tales from the Hood 2! I couldn’t believe it! The sequel is executive produced by Spike Lee, just like the original, and follows the same theme- a storyteller walking characters through different stories with a message. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. Keith David was the perfect casting choice for the new storyteller. He really can play any role, from New-New’s dad to Pastor Greenleaf, he is one of my faves. The stories definitely resonated with today’s trying times. Of course the character he is telling the stories to, Dumass Beach (I really loved this play on words. Perfect!) basically embodies all the MAGA hatred that is going on in this country. This movie touched on so many important issues such as African Americans in politics voting against their own people, allowing other races to belittle our culture and appropriate it, rebuilding the black community, and so much more. I would say the one story that I felt was a little forced was the vampire tale. Of course this one was necessary to speak to the #MeToo movement but the story felt very forced. However, it was still very important to mention this super important movement that is all over the headlines. The original and the sequel really did a perfect job of taking stories from the headlines and from within our community and showing the viewer that there really is horror within the truth. Basically, it’s a movie about Kanye. But I digress.

Although this sequel came 22 years later, it did not disappoint. Watch it on Netflix and share your thoughts! 

Hulu's "The Body" Does Not Disappoint

I was so excited when I learned that Blumhouse and Hulu were teaming up to create Into the Dark. Into the Dark is a monthly anthology film series that will feature a new scary movie every month, for 12 months, based on a holiday that falls in that month. First up- “The Body.”

“The Body” tells the story of a hitman who has to transport a body in a short amount of time on Halloween night. Of course he blends in with the crowd and everyone thinks he has the coolest costume... until it gets real and they realize this is far from a Party City prop. 

I really enjoyed this film. It kept me intrigued with lots of action. Typically I do not care for a lot of gore in my horror movies but this one did not overdo it. Even though you are basically thrust into this story after the murder has taken place, you never feel lost or confused about what is going on. The story has comedic relief throughout provided by the random group of friends who are running from the killer all while trying to save the body and take it to the police for reward money they just imagine they’ll get (because SURPRISE- the dead body is a celebrity)

The ending was a very interesting plot twist that I kinda didn’t see coming. 

Watch on Hulu and give me your feedback below!

Malevolent: Another Netflix Horror Movie...Another Netflix Letdown

Someone recently asked me what I felt about scary movies on Netflix. I paused and thought about this. I told them that there are some hidden gems but for the most part they really suck. I thought Malevolent would be different. So I gave it a chance. 

Malevolent is about two siblings, Jackson and Angela, who run a fake ghost-busting business. Angela has “visions” and they use equipment to trick the client into thinking they are really ridding their homes of evil, only to take their money and run. The movie starts slowly, giving a little back story about how the siblings’ mother committed suicide (she sliced her eyes out because she was having visions). The movie is set in the 1980s (not really sure why- maybe they just wanted to drive a hooptie and wear Cosby sweaters). Although Angela is a “fake” medium, it appears she really is having visions, just like her mother did before she killed herself. The real thrill of the movie comes when Jackson agrees to take on a case at an old, haunted orphanage with a dark history. The owner of the house is super stressed out and lets the Ghostbusters know, “I just want a quiet house.” The house is so creepy and foreboding that this is where I thought to myself, “OK this is getting good!” But then… it didn’t.

Malevolent is a slow movie from start to finish with the characters making really weird choices (there is a scene where a character falls through the floor and breaks his ankle but no one rushes to get him out or call 911). This movie attempts to build up the creepy tension in this old house but completely lets the audience down. To be honest, I fell asleep on this movie and had to re-watch the last 20 minutes. I fell asleep somewhere around when everyone managed to escape and then nonsensically crashed into a ditch. (This is what I mean about Netflix movies. Where’s the logic?) The biggest surprise of the movie is (plot twist) the woman they were supposed to be scamming actually killed the children (now it makes sense that she just wanted a quiet house).

There was a lot of hope for the character development of Jackson and Angela but the writers let us down in that department too. They touch on Angela having visions like her mother but that storyline doesn’t really get us anywhere.

Malevolent started slow, ended slow, and proved my point in the conversation that I had the other day- Netflix can’t seem to make a decent horror movie.

The Nun Review *Spoilers Ahead!*

You know that feeling when you have been craving some super bomb food for a really long time from your favorite place? Then you go to your favorite place and you order it and it’s not good? Like at all? That’s what The Nun was like.

With a tagline that boasts “Witness the darkest chapter in The Conjuring Universe” some big scares were definitely expected. The Nun is a spinoff of 2016’s The Conjuring 2. In that film, Lorraine Warren is haunted by a demon that looks like a nun. This film, set in 1952, is the prequel to The Conjuring movies. After seeing Annabelle Creation last year (one of the scariest movies I have ever seen) I expected way more from The Nun.

Let’s start here- the movie didn’t really have a plot. The Vatican sends a priest (played by Demian Bichir) and a “nun in training” (played by Vera Farmiga’s sister Taissa) to a cloistered abbey in Romania to investigate a nun’s suicide. They are aided by a man from the local village named Frenchie. Frenchie found the body of the nun and Father Burke and Sister Irene use him for information on the history of the abbey. The narrative has lots of holes in the plot. The movie never really explains why the Vatican selected Father Burker and Sister Irene other than they both have troubled pasts. The main story of the movie was really how these two people who are supposed to have the strongest of faith can question God. Sister Irene ends up taking her vows to become a nun during the climax. Their happy ending was their ability to stand firm in their faith after vanquishing (or so they thought) the demon.

The Nun also alters a scene from The Conjuring 2 to show that Frenchie is the possessed man shown during the lecture the Warrens are giving. This seemed like a really forced way to tie these movies together, unlike how they found a way to connect the two Annabelle movies.

 The movie is full of jump scares that make you feel dumb for being scared after you jump. The movie is very dark and has an ominous feel to it. This movie delves the most into religion and spirituality, but mainly to tell the story of the main characters’ test of faith. The Nun is a great example of a movie franchise that should quit while they’re ahead (hello Insidious: The Last Key).

Definitely the darkest chapter in The Conjuring universe. Definitely not the scariest.

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with horror movies. I was a little kid scaring myself senseless watching Tales from the Hood, Child’s Play, and Final Destination. I stressed my parents out with my obsessions with Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Craft, and Charmed (they totally thought I was trying to become a witch in real life). Supernatural has been my favorite TV show since I was 15 and I am always in the theater on the release date of new scary movies. I love all things autumn (except the disgrace that is pumpkin spice) and Halloween brings me so much joy. I have seen Get Out no less than 30 times (if you don’t know why this is the scariest movie ever created then you are probably part of the problem…) From this love of all things scary and suspenseful Black Girl Horror was born! Stay tuned for reviews on new movies, TV shows, and much more.  I am so excited to share my labor of love with everyone reading this. Let’s get scary!