Ma is two movies in one, and which one you experience may depend on whether you’re black or you’re white. Think of it as a racial Rorschach test.
On the surface, its plot doesn’t have much to do with race. It’s basically an intergenerational take on the “psycho stalker thriller”...
It’s sad that in 2019, it’s still rare enough for a black woman to be the primary love interest in a “non-black” horror movie that when it happens, it’s noteworthy. Leading black male love interests aren’t particularly common either, but black guys at least seem to get more supporting...
Although she’s starred in more acclaimed films, Little Monsters might just be the movie that best embodies the spirit of the Cult of Lupita Nyong'o. All of the qualities we’ve come to love about her -- beauty, style, class, wit, charisma, smarts, vivacity -- are on full display in...
In the US, Black domestic servitude still conjures antiquated images of Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen birthin' babies and whatnot, a concept that is, as they say, gone with the wind. In countries like Brazil and South Africa, however, domestic servitude goes hand in hand with Blackness, an ever-present...
I’ve never really contemplated the existence of black, non-indigenous people in Australia, especially those who didn’t recently emigrate from Africa, but if Sissy is any indication, there are at least two of them. One is Aisha Dee, who stars as the titular Sissy — or Cecilia, as she is...
Dust Devil is a South African film that's achieved cult status over the years, its quiet desperation, scenic locales and native mysticism reminiscent of another cult fave, Australia's The Last Wave. That's right, this is one o' them thar "artsy" horror movies -- slow, angst-ridden and sexually charged...
Who knew there were black people in Ireland? I wonder if even the Irish are aware. Imagine my surprise watching this little Irish film when up popped (the unfortunately named) Ruth Negga, an Irish lass of Ethiopian descent who'd later co-star in AMC's Preacher. She plays Mary, a young...
As much as I love Wes Craven's The Serpent and the Rainbow, it's one of those films that revolves around an issue in a black community (in this case, voodoo and political turmoil in Haiti), but examines it through the eyes of a white protagonist. This is a sub-genre I...
The Skeleton Key is one of those movies that uses a white lead character to explore an aspect of black culture while most of the black characters remain peripheral -- sort of like a supernatural A Time to Kill, or Breakin' with hate crimes. Thus, I was a bit...
It's rare that a black character in a horror movie gets the privilege of offing the killer -- in large part because he himself is usually dead long before the climax -- but that's exactly what happens in this English-language Italian slasher. The lone "black guy" in this case...
