The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster review
A modern reimagining of Frankenstein, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster hits most of the beats while establishing its own tone.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster
Directed by Bomani J. Story
Written by Bomani J. Story
Starring Laya DeLeon Hayes, Chad L. Coleman, Denzel Whitaker, Amani Summer, Keith Holliday and Edem Atsu-Swanzy
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster Review
Oh Frankenstein. Will the film industry ever let you rest? The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster is a modern-day retelling of the Frankenstein story. It uses the story’s themes in some interesting ways. That comes with some plusses and minuses. The good news is that the movie states its case for revisiting the concept. The bad news is that the way it uses it leads to a fundamental misunderstanding of the point. Whether its conclusion works for you or not will likely play a factor in your overall enjoyment.
Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes) is a genius. She is obsessed with death. Has been since her mother died. Believing that death is a disease that can be cured, Vicaria puts her theory to the test after her brother Chris (Edem Atsu-Swanzy) is shot to death.
When we talked about James Whale’s version of Frankenstein we touched on the idea of bringing death to life and Dr. Frankenstein not realizing the full meaning of that. Vicaria pulls it off too. She brings death to life…and doesn’t think through what that means either. With Dr. Frankenstein…his motive was the thing that blinded him from asking if he should do this. He wants to be God. His hubris is his undoing (although Whale’s version lets him off the hook).
Vicaria has a strong motive too. She is surrounded by death every day. She sees it all the time…taking away people she cares about with no apology. Curing death sounds a lot nobler than playing God. Even if they are essentially the exact same thing. I’m not convinced that Vicaria’s motivation would blind her to the reasons not to do this. She’s as smart of a character as you’ll encounter…and she does something potentially (and in practice) very stupid. Motive be damned.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster does a decent job conveying Vicaria’s obsession. The problem is that she is far too measured and rational to accept the choices she makes. Hiding her brother’s body until she can test her resurrection plan…playing God…these are, traditionally, the actions of a mad man. While she is known as the “Mad Scientist” in her neighborhood…her actions come from a very different place. A place that is both more and less understandable.
The problem with The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster isn’t that smart, capable, and grounded person plays God. Her motive is so steeped in being sick of death ravaging her life that you can understand her determination…even if you can’t buy into her blind spot to danger. The issue arrives in the conclusions the movie makes after the traditional Frankenstein story has ended. It completely misses the lesson of both the timeless story…and its own. A choice that almost works in the context of Vicaria’s original mission…but doesn’t hold up to the hour that came before it.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster tries to justify its final position by tying the monster’s motivations to something external. That he reflects how society treated him. The problem is that’s also the motivation in the classic story. Somehow The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster finds the opposite overall lesson anyway. It wants a hopeful ending. It’s understandable why…but it’s equally frustrating that a story so familiar is twisted in a way that doesn’t add up.
All of that can be dismissed as a nitpick if you want it to be. Judging The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster on its own merits paints a better picture. Outside of an underdeveloped monster…the movie does a good job of making us understand the world Vicaria lives in…and why she is so desperate to change it. A loving family surrounded by a world of evil. The characters of The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster are the highlight of the movie. Whether it be her father standing up for a daughter who he struggles to relate to no matter what…or the drug dealers threatening the safety of her neighborhood. The world here feels real and lived in. Performances are excellent across the board.
There is a bit of monster mayhem to be had here. It’s mostly saved for the final act. I wish there had been more…but what we get is done well. Normally the monster returns to seek out its creator. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster doesn’t quite know how to relate that aspect of the story. More focus on this monster’s motivations would have helped to pull everything together. It does arrive at an idea…I’m just not convinced that it’s an earned one.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster takes some interesting swings at the usual formula. What results is a good movie that will satisfy those looking for a realistic, modern telling of a classic story. Fans of the story itself may be left scratching their head at some of the conclusions the movie reaches…but they should be entertained getting to them.
Scare Value
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster doesn’t look to fully reinvent the story of Frankenstein…but it does seem to kind of miss the point of it. That doesn’t prevent it from being a good movie. It does make it a bit of a confusing one. The hardest thing for a Frankenstein inspired story to do is to justify its own existence. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster does that.
3/5
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster Links
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