Black Box - Cheesy but Clever

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    I will never tire of saying this so long as it bears repeating; psychological thrillers are my jam! When I looked at the trailer for this film and saw that it was "from the producers of Get Out and Upgrade," two of my favorite films in the genre, I knew that I was in for a great ride. While the film itself may be a bit clunky and melodramatic in a few areas, for the most part, it still delivers a solid presentation. Black Box is a treat for fans of the genre, from the stellar cast to the (mostly) clever writing. Also, it has Phylicia Rashad, which automatically grants the movie a thousand bonus points. 

    The story follows a professional photographer named Nolan (Mamoudou Athie), who deals with severe memory loss after a tragic car accident made him a widower and single father to his bright and brave little girl named Ava (Amanda Christine). As Nolan struggles to regain his memories and get his life back on track, he decides to try an experimental treatment offered by Dr. Lillian (Phylicia Rashad), who claims that her experimental therapy can help Nolan regain his memories. Through a combination of hypnosis and virtual brain mapping, Nolan can enter and explore key memories that can help rebuild his brain. However, his subconscious mind has other plans and haunts him with a terrifying figure that seems to want something from him, but he can't yet understand what or why. Nolan must solve the mystery of his own subconscious. The question is, will he like what he finds, and will he actually want to remember what his brain might not want him to? 

    The film delivers a solid mystery with a clever outcome that I genuinely didn't see coming, even though I was actively trying to figure out what the twist was likely going to be. One of the fun aspects of enjoying psychological thrillers is, when you've seen enough of them, it becomes equally fun to try and figure out the twist (because there always is a twist) as it is witnessing what the twist becomes. Sometimes it's clever; other times, it's cliche and overdone. While the twist in Black Box may not be perfect, it's still well-delivered enough to make it worthy of your time. 

    My few issues with the film is that it's occasionally a bit melodramatic, as I alluded to before. There are a handful of moments and line reads that I felt didn't match the film's intended tone. Also, while the filmmakers did a decent job separating reality from the virtual subconscious, I would have liked to see them emphasize the two worlds more, like with a different aspect ratio or color style to better visually differentiate the two settings. Mind you, these are merely personal nitpicks. 

    Special mention must go out to the film's MVP, Amanda Christine. This little girl is so adorable, so talented, and so likable; she became the heart of the film. I hope to see her in more movies in the future. 

    Black Box may not be the most "original" psychological thriller out there, but it is a solid piece of work worthy of your time. It has a great deal of heart and genuine effort that deserves to be seen. Also, again, Phylicia Rashad! Enough said! 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.