Tag: Get Out

7 Horror Movies Where the Black Character Survives

We all know the rules about certain characters in horror movies. Virgins live. Black people die first. As a horror fan, it used to bother me so much when the black character would be taken out first. It’s one of the reasons I started writing black horror. I wanted people who looked like me to make it to the end. Below are seven horror movies where the black character survives the movie and sometimes even makes it to the sequel! This list is not in any particular order. Also, sorry for the SPOILERS.

1. Deep Blue Sea (1999)

      I love a good shark movie, and while Jaws is perhaps the best shark movie ever made, Deep Blue Sea takes the number two spot. It has one of the best horror movie monologues (sorry Samuel L. Jackson, but that scene was brilliant!). And besides being just a great shark movie, the only other black character (played by LL Cool J) survives to the end. It was the 90s which was not only a big year for horror but was a turning point in the “black guy dies first” movie trend.

      2. Chain Letter (2010)

      Chain Letter is probably the lesser known movie on this list. It’s about a group of high schoolers who are murdered when they refuse to pass on chain mail. Chain Letter feels super nostalgic because chain main really isn’t a thing anymore. And while not being received well, the movie did one thing right. The lone black guy (played by Michael J. Pagan) survives to the end.

      3. Get Out (2017)

      Get Out is one of the best horror movies of the 21st century. It’s a story that’s so uncomfortably familiar to black people that it feels all too real. It’s why it performed so well. It has so many memorable scenes and lines, and once Rose “tries” to look for those keys, the audience knows it’s on. I don’t think the movie would have been praised so much if the main character (played by Daniel Kaluuya) didn’t live.

      4. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

      I Still Know What You Did Last Summer just wasn’t as fun and fresh as the first movie. In fact, it didn’t hold a candle to it. But it did feature two black characters. Unfortunately, only one survived: the girl (played by Brandy Norwood).

      5. Urban Legend (1998)

      Urban Legend is one of my favorite slasher movies of all time. It is a fun concept for a horror movie. It may be formulaic, but it’s original in its own way. The characters were enjoyable, and one of my favorites, Reese (played by Loretta Devine), lives to the end.

      6. The Purge (2013)

      The Purge is the first movie in one of the best horror film series ever made. The first movie really sets the series off with a bang. Not only does the black character (played by Edwin Hodge) lives, he becomes an important character throughout the entire series. What he symbolizes is a powerful message and you root for him throughout the entire movie.

      7. Scream 2 (1997)

      It’s pretty rare that a sequel is just as enjoyable as the first movie, and Scream 2 is one of those rare instances. While the first movie lacked diversity (it was so good that it wasn’t noticeable), the second one incorporates two black characters. The black girl doesn’t survive, but she would have if she’d followed the other black character’s lead (played by Duane Martin). He survived simply by taking himself out of the equation. Why doesn’t everyone just do that?

        7 Best Black Horror Movies

        Black Horror is a very specific niche in the horror genre. While having a black protagonist in the forefront of a horror movie makes it Black Horror, to me, I think Black Horror goes deeper. I think it means more than just having a black main character. I think Black Horror is about having those things that go bump in the night within the space of the black experience. Below are the seven best Black Horror Movies that capture this complex combination perfectly. This list is not in any particular order.

        1. Tales from the Hood (1995)

        Tales from the Hood is not only one of the best Black Horror movies, but one of the best horror anthologies ever made. It explores the horrors of racism, gang violence, and domestic violence, and it shows how these issues affect the black community. While there are some supernatural elements that will definitely creep you out, the real horror lies in how realistic and relevant some of these stories still are almost thirty years later.

        2. Get Out (2017)

        While all of Jordan Peele’s horror films are considered Black Horror, the movie that really stands out as real Black Horror is Get Out. This horror thriller tackles the hidden racism behind white liberal ignorance as a young black man “meets the parents” of his white girlfriend.

        3. Candyman (1992)

        Candyman cemented itself not only as a classic in the horror genre but also as an essential Black Horror film. The legend of Candyman revolves around the horrors of racism while also highlighting poverty in the black community. It’s a film that’s not only haunting but mesmerizing, and Candyman will become a part of your nightmares.

        4. The First Purge (2018)

        The First Purge was an unexpected treat within The Purge franchise. Filmed during a rather divisive time in America, it shows a modern America and its continued exploitation of the black community. The black community is no stranger to experimental science, and as this action horror shows, in the end, it never works in our favor.

        5. The Transfiguration (2016)

        I love it when indie horror gets it right, and The Transfiguration perhaps fits into a genre all of its own: Black Horror Indies. There are not enough of these movies, but I enjoy the few great ones that are around. This twisted coming of age tale explores mental illness within the black community and our reluctance to address trauma. Not enough movies tackle these issues, and The Transfiguration is an oddity that will stick with you.

        6. The Angry Black Girl and her Monster (2023)

        This movie represents my mission as a writer: to write horror stories that we all love featuring characters who look like me. This science fiction horror film is how you take a classic horror story (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus) and make it your own. The Angry Black Girl and her Monster gives a fresh, diverse perspective to a popular story and explores grief and loss within the black community.

        7. His House (2020)

        His House is a supernatural horror film that premiered on Netflix and was surprisingly terrifying. This movie is not only considered Black Horror but was a good introduction into African Horror. It deals with the struggles of identity in white spaces as well as the hot topic of immigration.

        Blog at WordPress.com.

        Up ↑