THE BLACK GUY DIES FIRST

An engaging look at “the wild, wicked, waggish journey of Blacks in modern horror cinema.”

As horror movies have moved into the artistic and commercial mainstream, the genre has attracted interest for its social meaning and racial inclusiveness. Coleman’s academic work focuses on media studies and cultural politics, and Harris is an entertainment journalist and horror movie buff; both bring expertise to their collaboration. They note that for a long time, the main function of Black characters was to get the narrative rolling by being the first victim of the murderer/monster/alien/etc. In fact, the actor Tony Todd holds the record for the most screen deaths, at 24 (and counting). Coleman and Harris identify various other stereotypes, always in secondary positions. There were some outlier films, like Night of the Living Dead (1968), which had a Black man in a leadership role. That movie became the source code for the zombie genre, although it did little to help Black actors. Eventually, after decades of effort, Black actors began to break into big-budget movies in prominent roles. When they did, there was a receptive audience. Will Smith’s I Am Legend (2007), for example, made more than $256 million in the U.S. These movies were not really about the Black experience, and there were still few Black creatives in the film industry. The real turning point, however, was Get Out (2017), which won numerous awards for director/writer Jordan Peele and also earned $176 million in the domestic market. The rise of direct-to-video movies and streaming also opened new opportunities for Black filmmakers. The authors often write with their tongues firmly in their cheeks, but they make serious points about representation and depiction. They acknowledge the level of improvement but emphasize that there is still much to be done.

Coleman and Harris write with keen observation, a satirical eye, and a genuine love for their subject.