‘BLACK MASS’ (2023) PROVIDES A NEW TAKE ON A TRUE CRIME TRAGEDY
True crime has been an obsession among a good amount of horror fans over the last few decades. We tend to enjoy the reminder that there is truly still real evil out there in the world and not just in the movies we see in the theaters. Some people enjoy the facts behind it, while others may go a bit overboard with the obsession by trying to become “armchair detectives” and feeling that they might be the hero some of the cold cases need.
We have at times unfortunately popularized some true crime in pop culture to where it has even had some true crime serial killers with fans and a following, much like someone would share a fandom over Miley Cyrus (not comparing her to a serial killer but damn she got game when it comes to those awesome songs of hers. I am not afraid to admit I jam out on it when I need to crank some good tunes).
The real fans of true crime tend to recognize that these killers aren’t something to “gush” over. Real true crime fans like me look at these cases or stories as cautionary tales. We also realize that the serial killers in these cases aren’t the ones who should share all the spotlight, it is also the victims in these cases that need more of the spotlight than their murderers. We are so caught up in pop culture and movies sometimes (me included) that we can tend to forget that these victims aren’t characters in a story, but they were real people who have left behind families that still mourn them.
Recently I got the chance to watch a movie more focused on such a topic called “Black Mass”. This movie stars Nicky Whelan, Jeremy London, Kathleen Kinmont, Devanny Pinn, Lew Temple, Jennifer Wenger, Lisa Wilcox, Eva Hamilton, Susan Lanier, Chelsea Gibson, and many other talented actors. This movie was written by Eric Pereira, Devanny Pinn, and Brandon Slagle. It is also directed by a truly talented modern-day Scream Queen (who clearly brought her A game to her directorial debuts, while wearing many more hats during the making of this), Devanny Pinn. The synopsis for this movie is as follows:
“Inspired by real events, Black Mass is set over a 24-hour period in Florida during the winter of 1978 when college girls were being stalked by an infamous serial killer.”
Now I will say, going into this movie as a true crime fan you are able to tell fairly quickly who this particular serial killer is. It isn’t kept a secret one bit but once you see the signs you will know. I very much loved this movie wasn’t too “in your face” and obvious about who the killer was right away. The more and more the story is rolled out for the audience, you see the subtle clues that are left for us. Something as little as the car our protagonist drives or a news report playing in the background really adds a great amount of build up and suspense that keeps you wanting more.
The entire time I was watching this movie I was glued to the screen. I would say I was “on the edge of my seat”, but considering I watched this in bed late at night (it adds a bit more of a scary element ok, don’t judge me. Try it out. It sets for a good atmosphere, especially when I watch horror movies to review) I was locked in place. There were moments when the camera gives not only the killer’s point of view, but also an over the shoulder prospective that had me holding my breath and anxiously anticipating what is going to happen next. A lot of that credit goes not only to the many people who worked on this film (such as the cinematographer and many others), but the directing that Devanny Pinn gave.
She really knocked this first time directing gig out of the park. I was mesmerized with every frame shot in this movie. The choices of where the camera was placed (as mentioned earlier with the perspective shots), as well as the stunning way the filtering and quality of each shot tells me that she clearly has a talent far more than some veteran directors I have seen over the years. Considering she has been in front of the camera for many years as a very good modern-day Scream Queen, she clearly had the wheels in her head turning on what she would do behind the camera herself. The movement, the clarity and the precision of each scene was executed as if you were watching a masterpiece in the making. I am a huge fan of good cinematography and as someone who gets hyper focused while watching a movie (thank you for that OCD), it is nice when the movie I am watching has all those wonderful elements that I mentioned. This movie truly made me excited to see Devanny Pinn in the director chair for many years to come.
Not only was the way this was filmed truly amazing, but the acting was very well done. Our protagonist/serial killer (portrayed by Andrew Sykes) had such a fluid movement with every step he took. He clearly accomplished the chameleon like approach of the serial killer role going from charming to predator within a quick moment. The way he sets up the first interactions with the victims, as well as the way that he peeps in on them as he prepares for his devious plans of murder were cunning and made me feel like I got a look into a side of a serial killer that was truly terrifying.
This movie really takes a unique approach with the perspective of the serial killer, the way we see his victims (or potential victims) interact with him as a handsome stranger and the look of slight panic that washes over their faces as they start to realize this man might be more dangerous than dashing. Each one of the actresses portraying the college girls in this movie played so well together as if they were a well-orchestrated machine, utilizing their roles as important pieces of the story. Not to mention all the other actors who helped really moved this story to the climax of the ending. The thing I loved the most, not only about the way it was shot or the acting, is the way that this movie is more focused on the impact this has on the victims and not showboating the serial killer in the story.
The fact that the serial killer in this very true story isn’t put on a pedestal for us all to admire was a choice as a true crime fan that I really appreciate. This is of course a familiar true story, but there are ways this movie shows the side of the victims that really breaks your heart and makes you feel so much for them. I won’t spoil really anything by saying this, but you should definitely stick around for the end of the credits (which you should be doing in the first place. There are a lot of truly talented people behind every movie we enjoy so be sure to show some admiration towards them until the final credit rolls) that makes this story even more real for the victims and the people in their lives. It really makes you appreciate their side of it much more than the side of the serial killer like most pop culture highlights.
If you haven’t noticed this by now, this is a high recommendation from yours truly. Not only for the story, the acting and the message behind it, but also for the amazing work that went into the writing, directing and cinematography of this that put together on hell of a movie.
“Black Mass” from Cleopatra Entertainment and Jaguar Motion Pictures will be coming soon to film festivals and theaters near you. Be sure check out my podcast “I Love Horror" when I will soon have Devanny Pinn and some of the cast of “Black Mass” talk about the movie.
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