By now, it’s certainly common knowledge that the mammoth horror genre has been crawling with an assortment of projects which have debuted to dazzling Rotten Tomatoes scores. From supernatural thriller Barbarian to slasher spectacle Scream VI, it’s fair to say that the horror catalog is growing not only in quantity but in quality, too. That being said, the genre has unequivocally done it again — with horror comedy The Blackening skyrocketing up the ranks and debuting with a flattering Rotten Tomatoes score.
Directed by Tim Story and penned by the incomparable duo of Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins, the widely witty horror comedy centers around an all-Black group of friends who, after staying at a cabin in the woods and faced with a variety of stereotypical horror tropes, are faced with being confronted by a vengeful masked killer who wishes to kill them in the direct order of the shade of their skin. Like most horror comedies, the characters are highly aware and tactically smart — relying on their wits, comprehension, and survival skills to stay alive.
Despite only just being released in theaters today, the movie has just debuted with an 81% audience score and rated with an 83% score on the official Tomatometer. Some critics have even gone as far as saying that this is “the best horror movie of the summer.” And considering the horror flick only cost $5 million to make, there’s certainly some celebrating that deserves to be had.
For those interested in watching something alongside The Flash this weekend, The Blackening is out in theaters now.