Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Xavier Burgin and based on the 2011 non-fiction book Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present by Robin R. Means Coleman, PhD.[3][4] The film examines the relationship between African-American history and the evolution of the horror film genre, and the roles that African-American people have played in the genre's development. It features interviews with Coleman, along with such figures as actors Keith David, Tony Todd, and Rachel True, director Jordan Peele, and author Tananarive Due.

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
Promotional release poster
Directed byXavier Burgin
Produced byAshlee Blackwell[1]
Danielle Burrows
Written byAshlee Blackwell
Danielle Burrows
Based onHorror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present
by Robin R. Means Coleman
StarringKeith David
Jordan Peele
Rachel True
Tony Todd
Tananarive Due
Robin R. Means Coleman
Ashlee Blackwell
CinematographyMario Rodriguez
Production
company
Stage 3 Productions
Distributed byShudder
Release date
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Horror Noire was produced by Stage 3 Productions for Shudder, and premiered at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California, before being made available for streaming on Shudder. It received critical acclaim, with critics praising its informativeness, entertainment value, and variety of interview subjects in the fields of both filmmaking and academia.

Synopsis

The documentary features interviews with a number of African-Americans with experience or expertise in horror films: Meosha Bean, Ashlee Blackwell, Robin R. Means Coleman, William Crain, Rusty Cundieff, Keith David, Loretta Devine, Ernest Dickerson, Tananarive Due, Ken Foree, Mark H. Harris, Richard Lawson, Tina Mabry, Kelly Jo Minter, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Paula Jai Parker, Jordan Peele, Ken Sagoes, Monica Suriyage, Tony Todd, and Rachel True.

The 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, which portrayed African-Americans (many played by white actors in blackface) as sexually aggressive towards white women and the Ku Klux Klan as a righteous force, is discussed for its emboldening of racist depictions of black characters in later films.[3][5][6] The minimal representation of black people in horror films released between the 1930s and 1950s is considered, with them often being relegated to roles as servants or background characters, or perhaps implied in the form of lustful monsters like King Kong and the prominently-lipped Gill-man.[5][7] The 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, which features African-American actor Duane Jones as its protagonist, is highlighted for its portrayal of a heroic black character amid a turbulent decade marked by significant events in the civil rights movement.[8]

The blaxploitation genre which emerged in the 1970s is explored. Blaxploitation films such as Blacula and Abby are discussed, along with the role of voodoo in films like Sugar Hill, and the production and themes of Ganja & Hess.[6] The role of African-Americans in 1980s and 1990s horror films is examined, with attention being given to tokenism, the use of black characters as "sidekicks" for white leads, and tropes such as black characters being the first to die (it is noted that a large percentage do not die first, though they often die at some other point nonetheless), black characters sacrificing themselves to help save white characters, and the concept of the Magical Negro.[6][7][9] The film Candyman is highlighted for its portrayal of the vengeful spirit of an African-American man, and the film Tales from the Hood is regarded for its depictions of racism, gang violence, and police brutality.[5] Eve's Bayou, though not generally classified as a horror film, is also discussed,[5] and Demon Knight is noted for featuring Jada Pinkett as a black final girl. The intersection of horror films and hip-hop music is also covered.[6]

Increased positive representation of African-Americans in 21st-century horror films is examined, with films like Attack the Block and The Girl with All the Gifts being mentioned.[5] The 2017 film Get Out is discussed,[5] with attention given to its black protagonist, its white antagonists, its themes, the state of American politics and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement during the film's production, and the film's ending. The documentary concludes with its subjects holding that African-American-centered films have proved to be marketable and profitable, and hoping that positive African-American representation in horror films will continue in the future.[6]

Release

Horror Noire had its world premiere on February 1, 2019 at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California.[2][10] On February 4, 2019, the film was shown on a double bill with Tales from the Hood at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[2] Horror Noire was made available for streaming on the streaming service Shudder on February 7, 2019.[2][11]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 8.62/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror more than lives up to its title, offering a smart and entertaining overview of American film history through an overlooked lens."[12]

Joe Lipsett of Bloody Disgusting wrote that "Horror Noire is always entertaining, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to acknowledge and advance the narrative about the contributions of Black talent in front and behind the camera", and suggests the documentary as "essential viewing for horror audiences".[6] Similarly, Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "essential viewing for the genre fan. But more than that, for the black horror fan it's a historical document that charts our place in the genre".[13] Jonathan Barkan of Dread Central called the film "always informative, and expertly crafted", as well as "a triumph of masterful execution, engaging storytelling, and brutal honesty."[9] Noah Berlatsky of The Verge called the documentary "enlightening", and wrote that its "greatest strength may be the way it manages to embrace the viewpoints of scholars and fans at the same time."[5] Bilge Ebiri of Vulture referred to it as "an excellent example of how to make cinema history accessible, informative, and even moving for a broader audience", and "an essential reclamation project."[14]

Collider's Matt Goldberg gave the documentary a grade of "A", writing that it demonstrates that "the horror genre is perhaps most worthy of study because of how it shows us how black people are depicted in American popular cinema."[8] Polygon's Jenna Stoeber also gave the film a positive review, calling it "a timely and engaging perspective on black representation in American cinema."[15] Rathan Krueger of Consequence of Sound called the film "a fantastic history lesson", and wrote that it "crams a lot within its short time frame, but it's always entertaining".[16] Kieran Fisher of Film School Rejects called it "powerful" and "an accessible, informative, and important addition to film discourse."[17] Bob Chipman of The Escapist commended the film's structure and concluded that "if you've got even a little bit of interest in film history, especially if you like horror, it's definitely worth your time."[18]

Accolades
Year Award Category Result Ref(s)
2019 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards Best Documentary Nominated [10][19]
2020 Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Non-Theatrical Release Won [10]
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards Best Documentary Won [20]

Podcast

Horror Noire: Uncut, a six-episode podcast featuring extended interviews from the Horror Noire documentary, premiered on Shudder on February 7, 2020.[10][21][22]

See also

References
  1. Hafdahl, Meg; Florence, Kelly (2020). Science of Women in Horror: The Special Effects, Stunts, and True Stories Behind Your Favorite Fright Films. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1510751743. We spoke to Ashlee Blackwell, creator of the site Graveyard Shift Sisters and writer and producer of the documentary Horror Noire (2019)[...]
  2. "Shudder Announces Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, Premiering February 7". AMC Networks. January 7, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  3. Obenson, Tambay (February 15, 2019). "For the Filmmakers Behind This Timely Documentary, Black History Is Black Horror". IndieWire. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  4. Kelley, Sonaiya (March 15, 2019). "Shudder's 'Horror Noire' traces the history of black films and filmmakers in the genre". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  5. Berlatsky, Noah (February 8, 2019). "The enlightening doc Horror Noire lays out black history through black horror films". The Verge. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  6. Lipsett, Joe (February 7, 2019). "[Review] Shudder's 'Horror Noire' is Essential Viewing for Horror Fans". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  7. Adjei-Kontoh, Hubert (February 7, 2019). "From Blacula to Get Out: the documentary examining black horror". The Guardian. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  8. Goldberg, Matt (February 15, 2019). "'Horror Noire' Review: A Captivating Deep Dive into the History of Black Cinema and the Horror Genre". Collider. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  9. Barkan, Jonathan (February 6, 2019). "Horror Noire: A History Black Horror Review – A Celebration of Horror's Unheard Voices". Dread Central. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  10. Millican, Josh (February 18, 2020). "1 Year Later: Director & Producers Reflect on the Impact of Horror Noire". Dread Central. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  11. Squires, John (January 7, 2019). "[Trailer] Shudder Original Documentary 'Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror' Coming Next Month". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  12. "Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  13. Newby, Richard (February 7, 2019). "How 'Horror Noire' Primes Viewers for a Year of Black Horror". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  14. Ebiri, Bilge (February 11, 2019). "Horror Noire Is a Lively, Essential History Lesson". Vulture. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  15. Stoeber, Jenna (February 7, 2019). "Shudder's Horror Noire provides a timely look at black horror history". Polygon. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  16. Krueger, Rathan (February 8, 2019). "Film Review: Horror Noire Sinks Its Teeth into the Genre's Sordid History of Representation". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  17. Fisher, Kieran (February 7, 2019). "'Horror Noire' Is a Powerful Documentation of Black Film History". Film School Rejects. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  18. Chipman, Bob (February 22, 2019). "Horror Noire". The Escapist. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  19. "The 2019 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards Nominations". Detroit Film Critics Society. December 9, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  20. "Here are the Winners of the (Gasp!) 18th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards". Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. April 6, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  21. Squires, John (January 23, 2020). "Shudder's New Arrivals for February Include 'My Bloody Valentine' Remake and 'Return of the Living Dead 3'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  22. "What to Stream on Valentine's Day". The New York Times. February 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.

Further reading
  • Coleman, Robin R. Means (2011). Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present. Routledge. ISBN 978-0415880206.
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