Movies
5 Great Horror Movies That Depict Black Childhood & Adolescence
Character identities also affect the world that is built around them. I find this especially fascinating when we follow children or adolescents because we can see the village surrounding that character. There is usually (not always) a view of their home life. This tends to acquaint the viewer with parts of the world and society because children typically have less control over their environment. They are forced to make decisions based on their situation and deal with whatever horror the movie throws their way. Although the situation can quickly become horrific, there is something special about seeing slices of your experience in a genre that often neglects or misrepresents it.
I’ve spent 30 years injecting horror into my eyeballs. I’ve absorbed it in most ways imaginable. Sometimes it was stumbling on a scary movie my older siblings were watching or tagging along with my mom to the theater if she felt I could stomach it. I have gathered with friends at hangouts or sleepovers to watch the umpteenth “scariest movie ever”. I’ve dumped hours into browsing through the aisles in Blockbuster (R.I.P.), inspecting Horror movie covers, and rolling the dice on a rental. I thrifted. I delicately thumbed through the $5 bins at Walmart. I’ve been scrolling through the Horror genre on the same Netflix account (not as much lately) for the past 15 years.
After laying my eyes on thousands of genre films, from the classics to the shot-on-iPhone flicks, I realized the characters (not surprisingly) had a lot in common: they were white older adolescents or adults, usually middle class or higher. No matter the shenanigans they find themselves in, whether it be a killer, a demon, a vengeful ghost, zombies, witches, etc.: the main characters ( especially if they make it to the end) fall into that group. When Horror focuses on children, they are usually white middle-class children. This affects the decisions they make, the amount of self-awareness they have, and how they evolve.
Character identities also affect the world that is built around them. I find this especially fascinating when we follow children or adolescents because we can see the village surrounding that character. There is usually (not always) a view of their home life. This tends to acquaint the viewer with parts of the world and society because children typically have less control over their environment. They are forced to make decisions based on their situation and deal with whatever horror the movie throws their way. Although the situation can quickly become horrific, there is something special about seeing slices of your experience in a genre that often neglects or misrepresents it.
Seeing an image onscreen and then being transported back to a scent, a song, a saying, a joy, or a fear allows for a deeper connection with the characters or the world they interact with because it’s viscerally relatable. There’s sometimes an instant feeling of “I lived there too” swirling around and dancing with your memories. Films can parade small parts of childhood that can affirm or trigger you: reminding you of your roots and making you face them. Here are a few films that display Black childhood and adolescence, and give a different perspective into the lives of Black youths.
Our Favorite Scary Movies That Depict Black Childhood & Adolescence
Mr. Crocket (2024)
There are limited genre films with Black directors, writers, and cast. This makes Mr. Crocket a rare treat! The film follows a Black family dealing with a recent loss and how that affects the relationship between mother and son. While we spend most of the screen time with Summer Beverly (Jerrika Hinton), we still get a glimpse into the life of a young boy in the early 90’s. There is a pit stop through a Black church, a familiar staple of the Black coming-of-age experience. The view of Black women in church hats giving stern looks to misbehaving children gave me flashbacks.
Before Mr. Crocket cha cha slides out of the TV, the tense moments are provided by the interactions between Beverly and her son Major (Ayden Gavin). Having a Black mom is a key part of the Black experience. When Major gave his mom attitude, I could feel my body tense. At one point he purposely destroyed a household item, and I jumped like Pumpkin (my mom) was going to pop up behind MY seat with a belt. I was able to see it in a small theater with a mostly Black audience. You could hear the wave of gasps every time Major talked back or rolled his eyes. Even a few moms and aunties let out quiet “uh uh’s” which translated to “ya’ll need to get him before I do”. This reaction opposes Beverly’s patient and gentle approach (up to a point), which seemed unheard of at that time. It’s important to note that in many cases, Black characters are not developed to the point of having parents or a home life at all. In the absence of Major’s character onscreen, the audience gets a front-row seat to a Black mother’s love and determination. It isn’t lost on me that the police seemed unhelpful and dismissive. When Black kids are missing, we cannot expect the same resources so it is up to the parents and families. Beverly takes so many risks to get her son back and helps others in the process (in true Black woman fashion). I also love that while financial hardship is mentioned, it’s not the centerpiece of this story.
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Eve’s Bayou is a Black Gothic tale about a well-off family’s drama unfolding throughout the summer of 1962. I saw this movie shortly after seeing Tales From The Hood and felt the warm experience of truly seeing myself. Not only was there a Black girl, she had siblings! There’s something comforting about remembering summers with your siblings in the south. It involved teasing, running about the house, and letting your mom’s “good air” out of the house. Every time I watch this movie, I can smell the air. I can smell the hot comb and Dax grease. I can hear the echo of a screen door slapping a frame. Memories of us yelling at each other to get out of the tub: seven people and one bathroom is a nightmare I never want to live through again. Eve’s Bayou also showcases the sometimes tumultuous relationships between mothers and teenage daughters. There’s a constant push and pull between daughters trying to bloom and expand their freedom and their mothers who try to keep them in “a little girl’s place” or keep them from being “fast” (I hate that term). There is also a focus on the relationship between sisters, and what they are willing to do to protect each other, even from their parents.
The People Under The Stairs (1991)
This film follows a young Black boy, Fool (Brandon Quintin Adams), who gets involved in a break-in to provide for his family and avoid eviction. Usually, when a protagonist commits crimes to provide for their family, they are adults. Fool is thirteen. This feels relatable in the sense that many Black children are called on to support and provide for their families in ways that children with more resources are not. I have never had to save my family from eviction, but I did contribute to bills as a teenager. Even if they are not required to support their family financially, they are directly exposed to the financial woes of their caregivers (prayers up to the kids whose parents used their social security number on bills). These children might receive harsher consequences if they are perceived as using too many resources. They may go without necessities. Their environment could be crowded or unstable. The financial stress bleeds into everything. This can drive children to make dangerous decisions to lessen the burden on their household: They are in survival mode. The combination of childhood naivety, an underdeveloped frontal lobe, and a desperate situation is the perfect storm for others, especially adults, to manipulate these kids: Leroy (Ving Rhames) was able to take advantage of this, kickstarting the movie. The People Under The Stairs isn’t only about disparities and struggles, it’s about victory and justice. Fool outsmarts his captors, and frees the other victims and most of the neighborhood from the greedy clutches of Mommy (Wendie Robbie) and Daddy (Everett McGill).
Tales From The Hood (1995)
“Boys Do Get Bruised”
I will always bring up Tales From The Hood in any horror discussion I can squeeze it into. While the film makes poignant statements about the world (still relevant 30 years later), it still manages to be wildly funny at times. One of my favorite stories from the anthology is “Boys Do Get Bruised”. It follows a boy who is being tormented by a monster. I was around 7 or 8 when I saw Tales From The Hood and quickly related to Walter (Brandon Hammond). For the first time, I saw a Black kid in a horror movie. We saw a glimpse of his school and home life. His house looked just like my cousin’s house. I could feel the glass doorknob in my hand. I saw multiple Black staff members at a school in a horror movie, another first. The genre often features classroom settings (because of teens), but you’d be hard-pressed to find a classroom or school scene with more than four Black students and/or staff (Especially if they have dialogue). Black educators are a pillar of the community, and it was inspiring to see them represented. They usually go above and beyond, especially when they are less likely to have the same resources as their white counterparts. Back in my day (shakes cane at the sky), teachers would show up to your house to talk to your parents. This happens in “Boys Do Get Bruised”. Richard (Rusty Cundieff -also the director) shows up to discuss Walter’s bruises, his drawings, and mentionings of a monster. He ends up witnessing the wildest parent-teacher conference in history. The Monster was real, showing up as a metaphor for abuse. I loved how the justice did not involve the police. Instead, the story incorporates aspects of dark fantasy, using drawings that have the power to harm the person depicted.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
This is one of the few horror films I have seen that takes place in public housing. As a kid, I always wondered “What if the monsters came to the hood?”. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster poses a better question: “What if you made a monster in the hood?”. This introduces a level of secrecy and tension. Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes) is a brilliant young scientist reeling from the loss of her mother and brother to violence. This drives her to become deeply invested in trying to reverse death because she sees it as a disease. I can directly connect with how witnessing death, especially due to violence, can shape or even warp your idea of death.
I was Vicaria’s age when my father was gunned down at a public housing complex in my hometown. It transformed death from this far-away thing that happened to other people into this omnipresent shadow that watched me when I slept. For Vicaria it was a sickness spreading over her family and neighborhood like a plague. Her father’s drug use may affirm this feeling. Having a parent with an addiction can feel like watching them die little by little. I appreciate how her father wasn’t always passed out in the house and letting his kids fend for themselves, which is how I usually saw Black parents with addictions depicted in media. He had a job and he showed up to school to lay into Vicaria’s science teacher. He had flaws, but he wasn’t one-dimensional or a caricature. You can tell he loves his daughter, but he is struggling with grief and the stress of being a single parent. Vicaria turned to science to combat her grief. If she can cure death, she can eliminate her primary source of grief. Her “cure” brings her brother back to life, and in true Horror fashion, it goes awry. Still, I loved seeing a young Black girl in STEM, although she should not be alone with electricity or corpses.
Vicaria is the main focus, but it was interesting to see Jada’s(Amani Summer) upbringing. Her mother, Aisha (Reilly Stith), focuses on educating her daughter about unfortunate truths about the world around her. Many Black children cannot rely on public education to learn about the vast history and achievements of their ancestors. Black parents who want their children to be informed have to supplement what the school teaches with our factual history. My mother supplemented my public school education with Black Inventor flashcards, encouraging me to read, and forcing me to watch Roots (1977) and other programs like it. My grandmother joined in by telling me all her stories of segregation, experiencing racism, and growing up in the Carolinas in the 50s. It’s a step that Black families have to take to protect their kids because knowledge is power.
Representation is also a form of power. It is a reminder that we are real, we are seen, and our stories deserve to be told. With movies like Attack The Block, The Transfiguration, Wendell and Wild, Vampires Vs. The Bronx, etc., being readily available, I am hopeful that young Black horror fans will have an easier time seeing themselves in the genre.
I was one of the few people lucky enough to catch the East Coast premiere of Abigail Before Beatrice at Brooklyn Horror Film Fest. This southern cult horror moment gives us a lot to talk about, and I decided to go right to the cool filmmaker herself. I caught up with Cassie Keet to talk about her new film, cults, and getting the perfect take even when the bowling alley has been overrun by small children. Read on for our spoiler-free discussion to help you prepare for this devastatingly sad film.
An Interview with Filmmaker Cassie Keet on Her Movie Abigail Before Beatrice
Horror Press: So, this is your second feature with cults being part of the problem. While Abigail Before Beatrice has a much different vibe than Scream Therapy, it’s safe to say you have thoughts about cults and cult mentality. What is it about the world of cults that draws you in as a filmmaker?
Cassie Keet: I’ve always been curious and sympathetic to people who are drawn into cults. They’re looking for something that’s missing in their life (Abigail Before Beatrice), or they’re born into a system that’s already been put into place for them (Scream Therapy). I’ve always found the members of the cult more interesting than the cult itself or even the leader. Who are these people? Who did they used to be? I know how easy it is to wake up one day and realize, “Oh shit, is this relationship toxic?” The catch is, sometimes that wakeup call doesn’t happen until years later. I think part of my sympathy for people in cults is a way of giving myself and the past relationships I participated in a little bit of grace.
HP: I think people are not as aware of how easily they can exhibit cult-like behavior. Trying to fit in is a slippery slope to becoming part of a pack and not thinking for yourself. However, people tend to look down on people in cults without looking at their own actions and realizing they are not so different. Why do you think there is this reflex to judge people who join cults instead of empathizing with whatever reasons made them feel like a cult was the only place they could find community?
CK: I think people want to believe that they’re different and would never “fall for” something like that. But there are cults everywhere. Cults of personality (looking at you, shitty YouTube manosphere dudes), MLMs (looking at you, girls I went to middle school with), cults of religion (looking at you, every religion). These are ways of thinking that are being weaponized against people by people acting in bad faith, who are the ones who are benefiting the most from your participation. I don’t want to sound callous – I love myself a fun YouTube or TikTok series. I tried to sell makeup in my early 20s, and I’m still a practicing reformed Methodist. It’s about how these things are used.
It’s easy to look at someone who has slipped down a slope and want to congratulate yourself for wearing the right shoes. But no one is “too smart” to be influenced by something that speaks directly to them on a deep, personal level. We’re all looking for something. Sometimes we find it in the wrong place.
HP: It’s hard to not love Beatrice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) in the first act. Then we get to start to get a fuller picture and discover she’s not quite who we thought she was. In your Q&A, you mentioned that you wanted to highlight that even logical people can find themselves in a cult. Can you discuss what went into crafting this character, whom we empathize with even when we are not on board with her thought process?
CK: I wrote Beatrice with the intention of challenging myself as a writer while also exploring some of my own past experiences. I wanted to approach some painful topics that were close to me from a compassionate, if somewhat ambivalent, lens. Beatrice is who she is. I recognize myself in her, and I recognize so many others who have experienced toxic or traumatic relationships. She’s a deeply flawed human because humans are deeply flawed. There’s the joke “I support women’s rights, and women’s wrongs,” and honestly, that applies to Beatrice. Well, maybe not all of her wrongs.
HP: One of the things I like about Abigail Before Beatrice is that it specifically explores how gender plays into cults. Grayson (Shayn Herndon) is clearly a predator, and these women put up with these abuses and his lies, in some small part, because society conditions women to put up with toxic male behaviors. Because there are so many cults getting documentaries or living in our collective consciousness, is Grayson based on someone(s) specifically?
CK: Grayson is a mixture of some cult leaders (Manson, Koresh, Jones), but mostly he was a personal creation. VERY personal. I asked myself, “Who is the type of guy that you would leave your life behind for?” Grayson was my answer. He approaches with a soft hand and a charming smile, tells you you’re special and that you belong somewhere special, and then whisks you away with a romantic kiss. After watching the scene where Grayson meets and seduces Beatrice, several people have said that they would have been tempted to go to the farm with him if he’d done the same. I know I would have.
HP: I think one of the saddest things about Beatrice is that she is clearly capable of living a full life outside of this cult. Yet, she can’t see that, so she mourns the sisterhood, abuse, and routine. As someone who went to grad school for theatre, I find that depressingly relatable and sad. However, many people have a hard time seeing themselves as competent individuals who deserve more. How many of our friends continue to settle in their relationships, jobs, etc.? Why do you think so many of us prefer the devil we know rather than seeing what else is out there?
CK: There’s a term called ‘familiar suffering.’ We choose the pain we’ve experienced in the past or are currently experiencing, because it’s a known quantity. We fear the unknown and the possibility that it contains worse suffering, so we stay where we are. It’s a coping mechanism. It’s built into our brains as a survival technique, even though it lessens our quality of life and leads to self-sabotage. You have to willingly break yourself out of it, but damn it’s hard. Combine that with an abusive environment or relationship that tells you what you have is the best you’ll ever get and that you’ll fail within a world that’s different, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
HP: Because everyone handles trauma differently, I love that Abigail (Riley Dandy) and Beatrice have two completely different journeys with the aftermath of their stint in a cult. Was there a draft where we got more time with the two of them? Or was the vision always to focus on Beatrice?
CK: When I was first conceptualizing the story, I originally wanted to split the narrative between the two of them to show them both in the present. The scene where they reunited at the coffee shop was the first scene I wrote. However, the more I wrote about Beatrice, the more I wanted to explore the specific story of someone who can’t move on because they can’t let go. If I had a million dollars, I would make mini-movies about all of the cult girls and their lives before and after. I just find it so fascinating.
HP: You have so many stories from filming this movie in intense heat and battling wildlife in Arkansas. I have been lucky to hear a few stories, but what is the one you find the funniest and can share with our readers at Horror Press?
CK: Oh god, there are so many. Every day was a hot, sweaty adventure. I will say that the day we filmed at the bowling alley was insane. They let us rent three lanes for free a month before shooting, mentioning off-handedly that they had rented out a few other lanes. When we started setting up our lights and gear, SEVERAL BUSSES OF CHILDREN arrived. Apparently, every other lane had been rented out to day camps. It was the loudest day of my life. Hundreds of screaming children ages 6-11 are sprinting around like maniacs.
Our amazing grip team built a privacy wall for the actors (and for sound, god bless), but at one point, some kid did the inchworm past it. The entire cast and crew stared at him. It felt like a mass hallucination. But, fun fact: we were able to get the shot of Will (Jordan Lane Shappell) bowling a strike and Beatrice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) hitting one pin in just one perfect take. When I called cut, we screamed louder than all of the kids!
HP: What is one thing you have been dying to talk about regarding this movie (non-spoilers obviously) and haven’t been able to?
CK: Olivia’s performance. Every single performance is incredible, but oh holy shit, Olivia just knocks it out of the park. I spent half of filming either staring in shock at the monitor or openly weeping between takes. She’s just beyond amazing. I am so in love with our cast – especially my supporting leads Riley Dandy, Shayn Herndon, Jordan Lane Shappell, and Molly Jackson. I couldn’t have made this movie without this cast.
HP: What are you working on next after you finish your festival run with Abigail Before Beatrice?
CK: I’ve got a couple of things in development right now, which is super exciting! A script I wrote in 2024, right before we went into production for ABB, made the Black List, so that’s with two production companies right now. Fingers crossed!
HP: What social media apps can people find you on, if you want your fans to find you?
CK: Find me on Insta! @kissmycassiek
Abigail Before Beatrice, is still touring festivals. Keep your eyes out for more updates and make sure you follow Cassie Keet to stay in the loop.
Brooklyn Horror Film Fest kicked off its 10th year with a screening of the highly anticipated Queens of the Dead. This sparkly and zombie-fied night was presented by Horror Press and set the tone for at least two after parties. As a good queen does.
Before the movie began, director and co-writer, Tina Romero, took the stage to share that she is “very proud to be my dad’s kid, and proud to carry his torch, and super super proud to do it in a way that shows queer joy and queer resilience.” After watching the film, it’s clear Romero meant business as she expanded on the zombie world built by her dad, the genre icon George A. Romero.
A Scrumptious Evening
The opening night film was also unforgettable because it was followed by a Q&A afterward moderated by New York’s baddest emcee, Xero Gravity. Tina Thee Romero took the stage with cast members Samora la Perdida, Julie J., Tomas Matos, and Nina West. They kept the vibe fun but also addressed why this movie is especially important in dire times like these.
Nina West said, “I’m really proud that this movie is coming out specifically right now.” West explained, “We talked about how important this film is right now. How queer people, I think, are going to have the opportunity to grab onto it and hopefully feel a sense of community, a sense of self, and a reminder of how vital it is to have chosen family and the ability to have space. Watching it tonight with an audience, that’s what I’m reminded of.”
The Romero Legacy is Very Much Alive and Well
Gravity opened the talk by addressing Romero’s dad’s work, “So, Tina, your father’s legacy is invaluable to the horror community, especially the horror community of marginalized people. When I look into the audience, I see a bunch of queer people, a bunch of different skin tones, I see people with disabilities, and for that, I know we all appreciate George A. Romero’s legacy in terms of allyship.”
When the applause died down, she asked Romero what Queens of the Dead has to say about our current state in society. Romero said she felt incredibly grateful that Shudder and IFC Films are putting this movie out in 2025.
Romero elaborated, “It’s not easy to get a little indie movie out into the world. It’s so important that it’s coming out this year because what a year we have had. Holy shit.”
Romero continued, “It feels so good to have a big queer movie coming out in a time when our community is feeling really under the threat of erasure and under attack. I feel like what our movie says is we are here and we are wonderful, come along for the ride. I really hope that this movie brings a little bit of empathy. A little bit of ‘I can’t help but laugh at and love these characters.”
Romero concluded, “I really love my father. I love the films he made. It was very important to me to make sure his legacy continued in a way that said some shit and with queerness on screen.”
A Night of Glitter and Gore
During the talk back, Romero shared a lot of cool facts. One being that her and co-writer Erin Judge worked on this film for ten years. She also shared that Dawn of the Dead is her favorite movie in her dad’s franchise when Gravity pointed out a couple of nods to the movie in Queens of the Dead.
The Q&A went by entirely too quickly as the audience fell in love with this amazing crew. However, the love and community spilled into the bar area afterward. People were given the opportunity to thank everyone for their work and tell them they loved the film. People were offered penis-shaped cakes, which is a fun gag from the film. Attendees were also given a chance to get a little bloody at the hands of local makeup artist Dime. They applied bite marks and blood to everyone who wanted to feel like they were a part of the hottest zombie movie of the year.
It was another scrumptious evening in Brooklyn. It also left many of the audience with an axe wound right in the heart. I’m excited to see how Brooklyn Film Fest follows this movie, and I will be in the bar area this weekend, waiting to see.
Queens of the Dead will slay in theaters on October 24.
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