22 “Heroic Deaths” by Black Characters in Horror Movies
Everyone knows that the "black guy" (or gal) usually dies in horror movies -- so much so, in some instances, the characters themselves seem to be aware of their inevitable fate. Thus, we have the phenomenon of black "heroic death," in which black characters (usually peripheral) voluntarily sacrifice themselves -- or at least, volunteer for tasks that mean certain...
Black Horror Movies Per Year: 1970-2023
How Much Have Black Horror Roles Increased?
Tracking the number of modern horror movies per year with significant* Black roles. For details on specific movies, refer to:
1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
*Admittedly, "significant" is a subjective term that varies by era.
How to Be Black in a Horror Movie
Originally published on eHow.com
Introduction
Being a black person in a horror movie isn't easy. You're rarely the hero, hardly ever the villain and more often than not you end up dead. But as they say, "When in Rome…die as a Roman," or something like that. At least there are steps you can take to make your inevitable demise run as...
Black Horror Movie Hall of Fame
Historically, black people's contributions to horror cinema have been hailed about as much as Donald Trump's contributions to racial unity, but there are some noteworthy figures of color from the past and present who deserve some recognition within the genre, so I've taken it upon myself to create the Black Horror Movie Hall of Fame. Feel free to tip the...
The Black Death: A Brief History of Black People Dying in Horror Movies
"No way. I've seen this movie. The black dude dies first."
- Professor Harry Phineas Block (Orlando Jones), Evolution
"Ooh, I'm done! Brothers never make it out of situations like this!"
- Sherman "Preacher" Dudley (LL Cool J), Deep Blue Sea
"Did you know that the black guy doesn't always die first?"
- sinister email, The Mangler 2
"Everybody knows black guys get it...
Black Horror 101: A Brief History of African Americans in Horror Cinema
Black Is Boo-Tiful
When Jordan Peeele’s Get Out became a breakout success in 2017, earning him the first Original Screenplay Oscar awarded to an African-American, "black horror movies" suddenly became the new hot property in Hollywood, with many people seeming to believe that this was an entirely new subset of the horror genre.
As landmark of a film as Get Out...
Best Black Horror Movies of 2022
There was a time not too long ago that it would be difficult to create a “best of” list of horror movies featuring black leads in any given year, since there were so few of them, and the ones that did exist were of such dubious quality. But thankfully, things have changed in both quantity and quality over the...
Rappers “Slash” Actors Appearing in Horror Movies
Rappers are busy people, what with all the ho juggling, money stacking, and ride pimping. That's why so few of them have time to fully devote to the craft of acting. And yet so many of them are doing it, mucking up our precious horror films with their half-assed performances. Now, the time has come to set them straight...
The Black Die Young: The Internal Struggle of a Black Horror Movie Fan
Originally published on PopMatters.com
I have a secret passion; the less addicted of you might call it an addiction. I like to watch. I rent base, filthy movies and slip them into brown paper bags so no one can tell. I sit alone in seedy, near-empty theaters, pleasuring myself with this trash. I'm too embarrassed to tell anyone about my...
Bad Boys (and Girls): Black Horror’s Most Wanted Villains
Black people originated the slang of bad meaning good, but that doesn't mean they can't also be bad meaning bad. They've played some of the more memorable baddies in horror history. Here are some of the baddest black villains to grace a horror movie screen. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
Blacula, Blacula and Scream, Blacula, Scream
The poster child...





























