Entertainment
Horror movies from Black directors you need to watch this Halloween
Candyman saw the return of Black horror this summer (Picture: AP, Netflix)
Halloween 2021 is almost upon us and while many of us will enjoy reliving old classics such as Scream or the Paranormal Activity franchise, it’s also a good time to be introduced to the genre’s unsung heroes i.e. Black actors and directors.
Horror has a fraught relationship when it comes to the representation of Black people – we are often the first to die in slashers, stereotyped to high heavens or given sidelined roles.
However, Black people have contributed some absolute gems in horror whether working behind or in front of the camera.
As we get nestled into this year’s Halloween season, here are some of the best films created by or predominantly starring a Black cast.
Candyman (2021)
The true essence of Candyman is about the vilification of a Black man and the gentrification of a Black community, so it only made sense that the remake was placed in the hands of a Black woman.
Nia DaCosta directed the slick remake, released this summer, and continued the themes of police brutality and racial injustice which sadly is still relevant today.
It earned applause for the way it tackled the hard-hitting social topics while still giving us the gore and terror of the original Candyman from 1992.
His House (2020)
Netflix’s His House is by no means your run of the mill horror, quite fittingly interlocking the haunted house theme with social issues.
Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku star as a couple seeking asylum in the UK after fleeing war-torn South Sudan, only to be haunted by their past when they arrive. His House explores the UK Government’s treatment of refugees and the challenges of integrating into British society.
The chilling feature film received critical-acclaim for its unique twist on presenting serious social issues within the horror genre.
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
This gothic horror from Kasi Lemmons, who coincidentally also starred in Candyman, remains a classic and is so highly regarded it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’.
It boasts a star-studded cast including Samuel L Jackson, who also produced, Lynn Whitfield, Jurnee Smollett and Meagan Good.
The horror follows 10-year-old girl named Eve Batiste (Smollett) and her family in 1960s Louisiana as she discovers their affluent existence is merely a facade.
Throw in mystic forces and voodoo and you have yourself a creepy little number to warm your Halloween nights.
Tales From The Hood (1995)
This horror-comedy wasn’t taken so seriously at the time of its release but it has aged like fine wine, garnering a cult following.
It centres on three men as they visit a mortuary in search of drugs, only to encounter mortician Mr Simms (Clarence Williams III) who tells them four stories about the recently deceased.
Themes of social issues run rife in this flick, such as police brutality and racism.
In other words, it was ahead of its time.
Bones (2001)
Snoop Dogg isn’t just a one-note rapper – he’s also pretty great at starring in horrors.
Directed by Ernest R Dickerson, Bones stars Snoop as silky-haired Jimmy Bones, a legend in the neighbourhood who was murdered in 1979 and returns to exact his revenge.
It’s absolutely bonkers and Snoop nails his role.
Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele created a masterpiece and properly introduced a new subgenre of social injustice horror – when the world was ready to hear it.
His 2017 feature film stars Daniel Kaluuya as a young man meeting his white girlfriend’s family for the first time. Only when he gets there, he’s confronted with the realities of racism in America.
It’s mind bending, it’s hilarious, it’s necessary.
The First Purge (2018)
The Purge movies tend to get even more of a bad wrap with each movie but the 2018 instalment finally delves into the social injustice touched on earlier in the franchise.
The First Purge stars Y’lan Noel and Jovian Wade and depicts the first Purge experiment in a predominantly Black neighbourhood on Staten Island.
Atlantics (2019)
In 2019, Mati Diop became the first Black woman to have directed a feature film competing for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.
The supernatural film is centred around a young woman, Ada, and her partner, Souleiman, struggling in the face of employment, class, migration, crime, family struggles, and ghosts. Diop focuses on issues such as the refugee crisis, remorse, loss, grief, class struggle, and taking responsibility (or not) of one’s action.
Us (2019)
Is it fair to have two Jordan Peele entries in the same list? Always.
There was a lot of pressure on Peele to deliver the goods with his first movie after the enormous success of Get Out, and he didn’t disappoint with Us.
Even more mind-bending than his previous horror comedy, Us takes an even twistier look at society by the film’s climax.
More: Halloween
Starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, it begins with a family whose serene beach holiday turns to chaos when their doppelgängers appear and begin to terrorise them.
What ensues can only be witnessed and understood first-hand.
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