Always keeping my ear to the ground on what the modern day horror factory, Blumhouse Productions, is up to, the news of their deal with Amazon to bring eight new films to Prime quickly became my most anticipated movie event of the fall. With a huge slate of film stuck in limbo for quite some time, it’s a deal that made sense for both parties and is a huge win for any horror fan and Amazon Prime subscriber out there. Blumhouse is unleashing plenty of big potential horror gems in this deal, like Zu Quirke’s Nocturne and likely Shana Feste’s Run Sweetheart Run, and they definitely kick things off right with Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour’s feature directorial debut, Black Box.
The film follows a single father named Nolan (Mamoudou Athie) who suffers from amnesia after a car accident that killed his wife Rachel (Najah Bradley) and left him to care for their daughter Ava (Amanda Christine) all by himself. Frustrated that he’s unable to truly care for Ava or remember anything from his past, Nolan decides to undergo an experimental treatment under the guidance of Dr. Brooks (Phylicia Rashad). The treatment allows Nolan to explore his subconscious and interact with forgotten memories. However, the deeper that Nolan explores, the more he notices a darkness within himself and it makes him question who he really is.
Osei-Kuffour introduces us to Nolan and Ava perfectly, as the film’s opening does a great job creating empathy towards them by showing how the accident ripped Nolan’s life away and how his relationship with Ava has changed. Ava, who doesn’t look to be more than ten years old, has become the caregiver of the family while trying to manage Nolan’s memory issues and silently grieving for her mother. It’s a very sad, but it’s a real depiction of how loss and illness can really impact a kid and it makes you instantly care and respect Ava in the same way that Nolan does.
As for Nolan, his illness has impacted him in a way that any parent can relate to, as his whole life is now just a blur and he’s trying to reclaim the life he once had. He can’t remember his special handshake with Ava, his job as a photographer that he once had with his wife is gone, and he suddenly has to transition back to normal life as bill collectors bother him. It’s a strong showing of how some people expect people like Nolan to just instantly snap back into their normal life but are unable to. It’s a great way to create empathy that viewers can connect to and establish a strong motivation for Nolan to reclaim his life by taking a chance on an experimental therapy.
Once Nolan goes to Dr. Brooks for the procedure, the film’s creative sci-fi and horror elements come out to play and Black Box becomes a more fascinating watch. Nolan going into his own subconscious is sort of like a mix between going through dreams in Inception and being trapped within the Sunken Place in Get Out. The film does a great job setting up its rules–like how Nolan has a safe room where nothing can hurt him and a watch that allows him to go to new memories–and does an even better job sticking to them. The whole concept of Dr. Brooks’s experimental therapy is really intriguing and the whole sequence of Nolan going into his subconscious is super surreal in the best way possible. The film also utilizes horror stuff that we’ve seen before, like a bone-cracking contortionist and blurred faces, but they’re made more meaningful by playing a part in Nolan exploring his memories.
What really turns Black Box from being a solid watch to an excellent movie is its twist, though, as it really catches you off guard and is truly mind-blowing. It takes its premise of Dr. Brooks’s experimental treatment and turns it into a unique, sci-fi spin on possession. It does what every twist should do to be great: it connects the dots about things we’ve been seeing, like Nolan’s supposed aggressive behavior, and changes your whole perspective on what you’ve been seeing. It’s also great that this twist happens a little after halfway through the movie, rather than the end, so that we can actually get a full understanding of the impact it has. It amplifies all of the emotional connections and stakes within the characters you’ve come to know and makes you care about them on a deeper level. It’s also a twist that’s more psychologically horrifying and it makes for a film that’s scarier to think about than watch—which I think gives it a more lasting effect. Not to mention, the performances get ten times better than they already were as Athie takes on sort of a dual role in a career-best performance and Dr. Brooks is given a more fleshed out story that not only makes her a more compelling character, but also gives Rashad much more to work with.
Watching Black Box gave me vibes reminiscent of watching another Blumhouse favorite of mine, Don’t Let Go, but hopefully premiering on Amazon Prime can change Black Box‘s fate, as it’s a film that deserves and needs to be seen. It’s easily one of the best Blumhouse movies in recent memory, with a compelling narrative with characters you care about and a stellar sci-fi/horror twist that’ll leave you talking about for quite some time.
