Nero come la notte

Well, the 2021 horror movie "Black as Night" came without me ever hearing about it, and I stumbled upon it by random chance. And with it being a new vampire movie, of course I needed no persuasion to sit down and watch it.

While writer Sherman Payne managed to put together a good enough storyline and plot, the movie did suffer from being just-another-run-of-the-mill vampire movie. Yeah, while entertaining enough, the storyline just didn't differentiate itself from the numerous similar vampire movies out there. At least you know what you will be getting in for here, when you sit down to watch "Black as Night".

I must admit that I found the movie's cover rather intersting, and it was what initially made me single out this particular movie. Director Maritte Lee Go managed to take the somewhat generic script and make it watchable enough for a single viewing.

The acting in "Black as Night" was good, and lead actress Asjha Cooper (playing Shawna) definitely carried the movie rather well. I was not familiar with her prior to this movie, but she really managed to stand up and did well. I have to admit that I was rather thrilled when I saw that Keith David was on the cast list, and he does bring his usual dark charms and usual demanding attention while on the screen thing with him, for better or worse. One thing that was disappointing, though, was the fact that Keith David wasn't really given as much on-screen time as he deserved, or as the character he portrayed deserved.

Visually then "Black as Night" was good. The movie deviated from the usual vampire lore with long upper fangs only for the vampire creatures. Instead, the vampires portrayed in "Black as Night" had rows - both up and down - of sharp fangs, making them look more feral. A nice touch, for sure. And I like the effects when a vampire was slain, that was definitely good entertainment.

"Black as Night" is watchable, for sure. But the contents of the storyline and the fact that it is essentially a rather generic vampire movie makes it unsuitable for more than a single viewing.

My rating of "Black as Night" lands on a bland five out of ten stars. There was just too much squandered potential here.

You want a gourmet hamburger, you go to a gourmet hamburger restaurant, it might cost you $20 or $30. You just want a quick snack instead? Then go to a fast food joint and buy a $2 hamburger. It won't be very good but it will quench your hunger for a short while.

That's how it is with Amazon's Blumhouse movies, like this one, "Black as Night". They are like a cheap hamburger, you'd never tell anyone how great they are but can help you pass the time.

This one is set and filmed in New Orleans, much on the West Bank area known as Algiers and much in the New Orleans Garden District. It is the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and many displaced, homeless are being recruited into Babineaux's zombie corps. It is best enjoyed almost as a spoof of horror movies, there are a number of funny scenes. The acting is fine, especially Keith David as the main vampire. The cinematography is excellent, the movie is not to be taken too seriously.

Most of the very negative reviews here say very silly things, like how old the actress is playing a teenager. Things that have no relevance to the story or the quality of the movie. It isn't a great movie but it isn't a terrible one either. It is entertaining for anyone looking for a lightweight vampire movie. I enjoyed it.

2 out of 5 stars.

Poor script and direction. The plot is decent. The film does lack scares and thrills. The acting is horrible. Especially with the main characters best friend who is annoying and cheesy with dialogue. It is one film that is forgettable. Definitely a film worth skipping.

Favourably with a wooden stick/stake that is ... deep digging ... wait what? My maybe questionable sense of humor aside, the movie has some Black Lives Matter vibes going for it. You may find this disturbing (for the wrong reasons, pun intended) or you can go with the flow.

Overall a decent effort, that I think has been taken down rating wise because some couldn't handle what the message was overall. Or maybe they were dissapointed by the really terrible ending (last scene) ... that I would understand ... wasn't enough to drag my rating down but hey - we all receive and digest differently don't we? Social commentary is more than fine, it drags in other places. Still Kudos to Blumhouse for allowing movies with a message to be made ...

Ever since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and the woefully inadequate efforts to rebuild many residential areas, New Orleans has served as glaring example of income inequality, racism and government stasis. This darkly comic film piles one more problem onto the shoulders of a blighted, mostly minority neighborhood - vampires who feed on junkies and the homeless. From the bloodsuckers' point of view, it's a way to fly (figuratively, if not literally) under the radar, since they're feeding on those least likely to be missed by the authorities. Locals understandably feel otherwise, once they're aware of the situation.

When a teenager (Asjha Cooper) happens to see a group feeding on one poor soul, she tries to intervene, getting bitten in the process. Fortunately a passing car causes the vamps to pull out - suckus interruptus - before she's been drained enough to be killed or turned. She researches the creatures, recruiting a few allies for a more serious version of a Scooby Doo or Nancy Drew counterattack. Casualties occur in a moderately gory battle for the community and our species.

The script by Sherman Payne efficiently packages a nice mix of humor, suspense, action and social messaging. A couple of performances and scenes border on the campy (Keith David, consider yourself warned), but the author's important points land without pontification or other forms of overkill. The trio of plucky protagonists discharge their acting duties as well as their slaying. Better, actually, since they're forced to learn the essential techniques on the fields of battle, with inevitable missteps along the way. Dangerous setting for a long learning curve.

Cooper's performance as actor and narrator is noteworthy, particularly for a relatively new face. As her initially-shy character grows in confidence and determination, she reminds me of another female vampire foe - a younger version of True Blood's Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley). The film comes from prolific low-budget horror source Blumhouse Productions, and rates as one of their better efforts among those I've seen. They know how to get the most value per dollar of investment.