Adventures in Movies: Black Horror

In honor of Black History Month, we review two black horror films, old and new, and discuss their exploration of interesting themes.

Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde

We wanted to cover two movies that exemplify Black excellence in horror. Sure, we picked a movie from one of the most polarizing sub-genres out there, but the movie’s plot had so much potential. Additionally, this week’s feature presentation is an award-winning film with a lot of buzz coming out of Sundance last year. We go in without preconceived notions whenever we watch anything, but we were confident we had picked two winners.

Before we talk about the two, we discuss someone we have never talked about on our humble little podcast. Woody Allen’s fiftieth movie is completed, and we talk about his legacy as a director. Even before he ruined his name, were we fans of his work? What did we miss that everyone else seemed to pick up on?

One of our best episodes was way back in 2020 (episode 96), where we discussed Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults. The HBO documentary is well-researched, informative, and shocking. With a new movie about the infamous group coming up, we talk about whether it is something we are interested in or if we have seen all that we need to.

Then, it’s on to our retro review in honor of Black History Month. 

Blaxploitation pictures constantly tackled race and class, and Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde has one of the most ingenuous stories out there. The subtly named Dr. Pride is a Black doctor who is trying to create a cure for liver disease. When he experiments on himself, he becomes a white man. Kinda. This plot device has been used in many comedies but rarely in serious films.

The 1976 release sets the table for so much.

Dr. Pride is a Black man who does not fit into a white world. He turns into a white man who does not fit in the Black world. There are allusions to other movies that have dealt with race relations.

Regrettably, it does nothing with any of these more significant ideas. So, is it enjoyable as just a regular old schlocky creature feature?

Finally, we end with our feature presentation. 

Nanny was one of the biggest critical hits of last year. It won the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival and seemed like it was set to join Sundance horror favorites like Mandy, V/H/S, and Hereditary.

Since its big win, there has been little said about the movie, however.

Though much more focused than Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde, Nanny is a case of missed opportunities. It introduces interesting themes but does little with any of them.

We talk about its pacing, its decision to barely use West African culture, and whether it is a horror movie or not.

Watch Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (as Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde) for free on Tubi, and watch Nanny on Prime Video. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Last week, we discussed one of the most influential movies of all time, Lady Snowblood. Its influence cannot be denied, but how well does the film hold up decades after its release?