The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)

September 23, 2023 7:47 PM

Vicaria is a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured. After the brutal and sudden murder of her brother, she embarks on a dangerous journey to bring him back to life.

This retelling of Frankenstein places a young woman of color at its center, determined to find a cure for death to restore her family, which has been decimated by gang related violence and grief.

Currently boasting a 84% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

"The story of a young woman fighting to bring her brother back results in a classic yet new perspective. In conversation with films like The Blackening, Us, and Night of the Living Dead, Bomani J. Story builds a compelling narrative that examines the history of black horror cinema."-Alan French

"Story takes the classic narrative and situates it in a community already regarded by society as monsters."Jenn Adams

Written and directed by Bomani J Story. Starring Laya DeLeon Hayes, Chad L. Coleman (The Wire and The Walking Dead), Reilly Brooke Stith, and Denzel Whitaker.

posted by miss-lapin (4 comments total)

I'm sad no one else has seen this apparently. It's definitely worth watching. Vicaria's monomania that reversing death will change all the horror she faces in terms of gang violence, drug abuse, and institutionalized racism is understandable. She's desperate to try and save the people around that she loves, and this is the only way she can see to do it.

Having said that, I'm very thrown by the ending. It really doesn't seem to match the rest of the film, but even so the majority of the film is compelling. I was looking forward to discussing it as frankenstein is a particular love of mine. If you're into it too, definitely check it out.
posted by miss-lapin at 11:01 PM on September 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

ok I have to check this out. Frankenstein is one of my favorite books.
posted by supermedusa at 2:40 PM on October 3, 2023 [1 favorite]

This review points out that in her zeal to save the people she loves, Vicaria perpetuates the same cruelty black people have experienced as unconsenting victims of medical experimentation. This is part of what bothers me about the ending-it seemingly absolves her of what's she done.
posted by miss-lapin at 10:31 AM on November 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm not opposed to reworking the ending of the classic Frankenstein story, particularly in such a unique reimagining.

but yeah, given the morally sketchy stuff she did, going with "Vicaria was doing a good thing, actually" as the ending doesn't work.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:02 PM on October 5