[Fantasia ’23]: ‘Blackout’ review: Creature feature expertly mixes the classic and modern storytelling

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the work being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Larry Fessenden is one of the most respected names in genre. From 1997’s vampire indie hit Habit to this year’s Brooklyn 45, he has built an impressive resume. With the Fantasia Film Festival World Premiere of Blackout, he fulfills his long standing ambition to make a werewolf movie. The movie follows Charley Barrett (Alex Hurt, Bonding) an artist who harbors a deadly secret. After a Latino worker is blamed for a pair of grisly killings, the locals’ thirst for justice comes to a head as another full moon rises.

Fessenden’s love of classic creature features is seen in the cold open. Two lovers are alone in a park one night. Some unknown being watches from a distance before slowly creeping up on the two. The impending bloodshed is the mix of sex and violence that has long been a part of horror. As familiar as the opening is, it is also a bit misleading.

Even though horror movies have never shied away from taking on topical issues, werewolf films tend to be a little more straightforward. They are more about the curse the person is dealing with and its fallout. Blackout is definitely about a person trying to cope with turning into a bloodthirsty monster, but it also takes on important topics.

Along with the hatred against migrant workers, Blackout tackles themes of power and the ecology. The narrative nimbly weaves between everything it wants to address. Some of it does come off as heavy-handed, but considering everything that is happening – in the film and in the real world – it always seems like the correct approach. 

Hurt anchors the story with a pained performance that turns Charley into more than a man with a murderous affliction. He wants to help others as much as himself. There are moments of rationality not normally seen in similar films. The end result is an especially sympathetic tragic hero.

It is impossible to discuss a werewolf movie without discussing special effects. Blackout brings the blood early, and there is plenty of gore, but it is the transformations that stand out. Instead of being over the top, they are downplayed and place more of an emphasis on the human qualities. This does not mean the effects look bad – they are very well done. But the emotion usually saved until the final moments is captured the whole time.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes place from July 20 – August 9. Fantasia, news, tickets, and films can be found HERE