Staking Claim - Black as Night (2021)

In episode 104, we dive into the 2021 horror film Black as Night. This not-so-unique blend of supernatural horror and social commentary takes us deep into the heart of New Orleans, where a young girl must confront a terrifying vampire threat that lurks in the shadows.We’ll discuss the film’s themes of colorism, gentrification, and the coming-of-age throughline that has a hard time hitting the mark.  Grab your garlic and stake, and tune in for a deep dive into a film that will leave you questioning what’s lurking in the dark.Timestamps 04:56 – Negronomicon34:16 (pause here to avoid plot spoilers!)29:17 - Crit1:37:34 – Final Curls Podcaster's note:A video that Mami Wata Mayowa posted online gave me the language I was looking for when we recorded this episode. The trope with colorism is that dark-skinned women are jealous of light-skinned women. This underlying belief colored the conversation this film was trying to have into a weird coming-of-age story that didn't sit right with me. I have a hard time understanding the perspective of the film has and I think there were a lot of other elements in the story that made this theme seem shallow at best. xo, LaurenGems from E104Black as Night (2021)Cheers (1982, television series)The Twilight Zone (1959, television series)The Faculty (1998)Scream 7 (upcoming)Companion (2025)The Blackening (2023)Barbarian (2022)22 Jump Street (2014)Idle Hands (1999)The Devil Wear Prada 2 (upcoming)Moana 2 (2024)Moana (2016)Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)Jason X (2021)Wolf Man (2025)Van Helsing (2004)28 Years Later (2025)The Last of Us (2023, television series)Fear Street trilogy (2021)Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)Goosebumps (2023, television series)Goosebumps: The Vanishing (2025, television series)Goosebumps (1995, television series)The Nightmare Room (2001, television series)The Haunting Hour (2010, television series)Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001, television series)Squid Game (2021, television series)Virgin River (2019, television series)Locke & Key (2020 television series)Sinners (2025)Mickey 17 (2025)Black Panther (2018)Spongebob Squarepants (1997, animated television series)Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999, animated television series)The Monkey (2025)Longlegs (2024)Until Dawn (2025)Until Dawn (2015, video game)Black Christmas (2019)Black Christmas (1976)Happy Death Day (2016)Cabin in the Woods (2012)Annabelle: Creation (2017)Lights Out (2016)Shazam: Fury of the Gods (2023)Groundhog Day (1993)Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020)Chlorine Sky (Mahogany L. Browne, Crown Books for Young Readers, 2021, Print)The Babadook (2014)The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022, television series)Blade (1998)Day Shift (2022)30 Days of Night (2007)Fright Night (1985)True Blood (2008, television series)Twilight (2008)The Vampire Diaries (2009)Abigail (2024)Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997, television series)Underworld (2003)Queen of the Damned (2002)Interview with a Vampire (2022, television series)Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)Poppy Playtime (2021, video game)Five Nights at Freddy’s (2014, video game)Support the show