What I’m Watching: The Blackening (2023) and The Outwaters (2022)

Synopsis: “The Blackening centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer.”

My take:  A fun film. Both silly and funny. Not particularly scary, but there are jump scares. The mystery isn't much of a mystery, but this movie is a good one to watch with friends.

Synopsis: “Four travelers experience a mind-bending trip through terror while camping in a remote stretch of the Mojave desert.”

My take: A found footage movie with body horror galore. I struggle with these films because at the most harrowing moments, the camera is never abandoned, which is unlikely in real life. But this is trippy enough that I am able to suspend disbelief to ask, wtf is really going on?

As it stands, the set-up drags on for too long and doesn't really tell us much about the characters. It certainly doesn't make me care about them. Overall, this would have made a wonderful short film because when the horror begins, it is wild and never lets up.