Streaming: Prime Video (Free with Subscription)
Warnings:
Domestic Abuse
Graphic Imagery
Rating: Unrated
Black Box is a modern horror film directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. and written by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour and Stephen Herman. Black Box stars Mamoudou Athie, Phylicia Rashad, Amanda Christine, Tosin Morohunfola, and Troy James. The film was released in October 2020 as the second film that is a part of a collaborative anthology series produced by Amazon Studios and Blumhouse Television. Black Box is certainly a thought-provoking film, even though the story is similar to a few other popular films, it is still engaging and sparks interest. Of the entire anthology series, Black Box is currently rated the highest on Rotten Tomatoes. Black Box is about a father (Nolan) who is struggling to regain his memory after surviving a tragic car accident that killed his wife. Desperate to put his life back together to raise his daughter as a newly single father, he begins to receive experimental neurological treatment that helps him remember his forgotten memories. Something feels off about the memories which sparks him to investigate further. Through the storyline, cinematography and the acting, this film is certainly intriguing.
Some critics argue that this film is more like a science fiction than a horror which is not a completely incorrect statement. Although there are parts of the film that are truly chilling, Black Box does weigh heavily on science fiction more so than horror. Black Box is similar to popular films like Get Out and even some episodes of Black Mirror, but it never quite shocks the audience in the same way. Black Box isn’t a film that can be predicated but it is a film that follows similar journeys that other science fiction films have in the past, in other words, Black Box isn’t as original as it seems. However, with that being said, it is still worth the watch.
The imagery and cinematography used to portray traveling through Nolan’s memories is similar to The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind but takes the audience on a different journey. The transitions in the film are clever and adds to the discomfort the audience feels when anticipating the next memory. The cinematography was executed by Hilda Mercado who has a long history of working in the Hollywood camera department, however most of her films are not horror films. Along with the depictions of the memories, the cinematography allows the audience to absorb clues in the story as they go along without being too obvious. This is a strong aspect of the film that adds to the intrigue.
The acting carries the film most of all, Mamoudou Athie known for The Get Down, Underwater and The Circle, does a wonderful job playing the father who is just trying to put his life back together. Athie pulls the audience in when he is suffering through the predicaments his memory loss has put him in. He also is incredibly convincing when he is terrified while viewing his own disturbing memories. This role in particular gives me hope to see him in more roles in the near future.
Black Box isn’t a typical horror, nor is it a film that will be going on my “favorite horror list,” but it is certainly enjoyable and thought-provoking. It takes the audience on an unexpected journey that stirs uneasiness and discomfort like most horror films but the shock that is needed isn’t as astonishing as one would hope. However, through the acting, the interesting imagery, and the engaging story, Black Box is a good film to watch on a rainy day.