The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster has some of the familiar trappings found in creature features. There are jump scares, a mad scientist, and some violent killings. But the film has a much stronger message. The plot follows a young girl named Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes, TV’s The Equalizer) who believes death is a curable disease. As her work begins to dangerously affect her life, she learns more about family and community.
Though it is heavily inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the film never feels derivative. This is due to some excellent world building in which writer-director Bomani J. Story transports audiences to “a place where you usually don’t see horror movies.” The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster takes place primarily in the housing development. Instead of a sense of claustrophobia, there is a sense of togetherness where everyone knows, if not likes, each other. More than a random haunted house filled with victims, the movie’s world is filled with people and their homes.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster also tackles serious themes of race, class, and the educational system. Though everything can be tied together as symptoms of a larger problem, it is still lot of heavy topics to address. “I believe that best stories that are told are entertaining but also present some kind of revelation,” Story stated. One of the ways that Story keeps viewers engaged is through smart dialogue. The young cast discuss the deep issues in a meaningful way. That being said, Story never insults the audience and never loses sight of the fact that these are just kids.
As heady as things can get, there are never any doubts this is a horror movie. The monster is frightening as he terrorizes the residents. While it never goes all in on the gore, there are some vicious kills in The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster. The mix of tropes and real life terror ensures that anyone watching is engaged the entire time. Horror has always done a great job of dealing in topical messages while scary audiences and this is a great addition to socially conscious Black horror.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster makes its World Premiere at SXSW
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