OUT THERE SCREAMING: AN ANTHOLOGY OF NEW BLACK HORROR
4.5/5⭐
When watching the ending of Ready or Not(2019), I felt almost a sense of relief when I saw the unmistakable flash of blue and red. She was finally getting help. That sense of relief does NOT translate to watching Get Out (2017). At the end of Chris’ story, seeing police officers pulling up had my heart in my stomach. I imagine the rest of the theatre felt the same way since when it was revealed to be Chris’ friend Rodney — a TSA officer — everyone erupted in applause. There’s something unique in the telling of black horror stories. That’s what Out There Screaming manages to capture: the specific vein of horror that applies to black people. It’s a collection of 15 stories by different authors curated by Jordan Peele. Most importantly, it helps answer the increasingly asked question: Does horror look the same for everyone? Honestly, not every story is a winner, but there’s something for everybody. The specific story that sticks out to me is “Wandering Devil.” A tale of a lineage of “rolling stones” and the repercussions of being one. It touches on love, family, and abandonment. It seamlessly creates a voice and atmosphere that feels believable. In this specific story, and many others, I put myself in the shoes of the protagonist. I could almost feel the wanderlust Freddy felt. The ending is a little rushed, and the overall story could be fleshed out more, but it feels relatable, and that’s something that I usually can’t say about the horror genre. Out There Screaming is more than just a collection of stories. It manages to focus on black horror while illuminating specific cultural nuances and experiences. I think every horror fan should read these stories. Maybe they’ll unnerve you, too.
