I've been an Cineworld Unlimited cardholder for ages, but this week I went to my first ever Unlimited screening! It was an exclusive first play of The Blackening, and what a treat this film is from beginning to end. It's "based on a true story", none of which actually happened.
If you imagine a cross between Scream, Cabin In The Woods and Get Out, with a dollop of Saw, you wouldn't be too far off. Packed with tongue-in-cheek satirical horror film clichés, including the obligatory creepy basement, we join a group of friends who get together for a wild weekend in an isolated forest ranch. It comes complete with a mysterious Games Room, doors that lock themselves, and a not-too-inviting board game.
As you might imagine, a game of survival quickly unfolds, and as well as containing a few good jump scares, this film is brimming with satire and decent humour. I laughed out loud a few times (look out for a particularly timely Donald Trump gag, as well as a good bit revolving around black characters appearing in the sitcom Friends!). The villain was not entirely a shock, and I'm usually terrible at guessing twists, so perhaps it wasn't that well hidden, but this didn't spoil the film at all for me. I would highly recommend giving it a whirl, and I loved its social commentary on the treatment of black characters in so many horror movies over the years. It felt contemporary, original, and sharply written.
Meanwhile, I also treated myself to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Mutant Mayhem. I may be slightly older than its target audience, but I really enjoyed this one too. Gorgeous animation, a great 80s and 90s hip hop soundtrack including needle drops from De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and a story that I reckon would appeal to all ages. Seth Rogan has definitely revitalised a franchise I've not had much interest in since the late 1980s, and the kids in the screening I attended seemed to really enjoy it too! I'd be surprised if anyone watched this and didn't find plenty to enjoy. It's a film with a heart, and so much more interesting than a lot of Marvel's recent releases in my book. Pepperoni pizzas all round!
The fact the animation looked like something from a scribbled school notebook made it stand out, and you can tell those behind the film are Turtles super fans. The best hand-drawn animation since the Take On Me video! Our heroes in a half shell are voiced by teen stars, and this lends authenticity to their coming-of-age struggles to fit in with the rest of the world as mutants. It's definitely nicely teed up for a sequel too, and make sure you stay for a little bit extra towards the end of the credits.
Next up, I'm looking forward to catching Strays and Blue Beetle. I'm also not ruling out a third trip to see Barbie, and would urge you to go and watch Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling being fabulous on the big screen if you haven't already. Dua Lipa's brilliant song Dance The Night from the soundtrack looks set to be number one on the Singles Chart this weekend, and a sequel is already being discussed.
