Horror Films To Watch This Halloween With Black Leads
Jordan Peele, director and creator of many Black-centered horror films in the entertainment industry. (IMDB)
October is here! That is the time for spooks, scares, and unwanted screams that can wake the dead. If anything, the month to “relax” and watch horror movies makes you question human existence. You might think of The Exorcist, Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Conjuring, or more. But I am not; those films represent what is wrong with many Hollywood films: lack of or no presentation of Blackness.
Unfortunately, talking about race can be taboo. Still, there is the fact, and then there is an opinion, and the reality is Hollywood is predominately made up of white actors and actresses.
It is shown in every genre of film, including horror. However, few horror films with Black leads embrace the genre but showcase societal issues. So, here are a few movies to watch before the end of October starring Black leads.
The People Under the Stairs
This 1991 Wes Craven horror and comedy film stars Brandon Adams as Poindexter "Fool" Williams, an African American adolescent growing up in the Los Angeles projects. With a sick mother and an eviction notice, Fool and family associate Spenser decide to break into a wealthy family's house, The Robosens. With the family believed to have stashes of gold, Fool discovers the “couple” are twisted and sadistic, with more people in the house than perceived. Besides a compelling plot, People Under the Stairs explores serious topics such as gentrification, race, and social class.
Candyman
Short story-turned-movie Candyman is a cult classic from the 90s, featuring Tony Todd as the antagonist, Daniel Robitaille/Candyman. Murdered in the past for his love affair with a wealthy white man’s daughter, Robitaille returns as an urban legend who is summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror. The movie takes place in the Cabrini-Green housing projects of Chicago, following graduate student Helen Lyle, who becomes interested in the legend of Candyman during her thesis. As her research progresses, murders begin to pile up and Lyle finds there might be more to the myth than what appears. The film grapples with heavy topics of race and class.
Tales from the Hood
A film with a predominantly Black cast, Tales from the Hood is a 1995 horror anthology film set in African American communities. Actor Clarence Williams III plays funeral director Mr. Simms, at a mortuary, retelling four stories to three gang members who are there to purchase drugs. As the film continues, the mortuary is more than what Mr.Simms makes it out to be. With comedic elements, the stories tackle serious themes affecting Black communities: police brutality, domestic violence, racism, and black-on-black crime.
Get Out
Academy Award-winning film Get Out, written and directed by Jordan Peele, was released in 2017. Peele created the psychological horror film that centers around race in America. The movie follows African American photographer Chris Washington, who is in an interracial relationship with suburban white woman Rose Armitage. The movie documents Chris as he meets the Armitage family for a weekend trip, but, as the weekend continues, weird interactions and unexplained events occur on the Armitage estate, leaving Chris to fend for himself.
The First Purge
As the fourth installment in the worldwide franchise, “The Purge,” The First Purge is a prequel dystopian action horror film. The plot of the movie gives an insight into how the annual “Purge Night” began as the United States had a new political regime called the New Founding Fathers of America. To control population growth and more, the party conducts an experiment where citizens are allowed to commit crimes for one night a year without any risk of imprisonment.
Set in Staten Island, the film follows characters living in a predominantly Black neighborhood that the government monitors. As the night approaches and crime begins, residents are left to protect themselves while realizing the deadly night is part of an agenda set by the government. More than a horror film, the film's underlying message centers around police brutality and classism.
Us
Another movie written and directed by Jordan Peele, Us is a 2019 psychological horror film starring Lupita Nyong'o as Adelaide Wilson. Now a wife and mother, Adelaide visits her childhood home with her family on the beachside during vacation. Unfortunately, their vacation ends before it officially begins, as society they know changes overnight. Evil doppelgangers of themselves and others emerge to terminate the human race, leaving only themselves to protect each other. The Wilsons must fight to stay alive against those made to replace them. The film covers themes such as privilege and identity in America.
With this shortlist, you must get your feels between now and October 31st. But, apart from the horror genre, each synopsis of the films has a recurring element. Each movie's plot touches on African Americans' struggles in America. That's significant about films with Black leads and predominantly Black casting. Regardless of the genre, the plot and dialogue between characters will present a bottom-line message.