A horror comedy playing with genre convention tops the DVD releases for the week of Aug. 22.
“The Blackening”: A group of friends gather for a college reunion weekend and test the trope — if all the characters in the horror movie are Black, who dies first?
“The social commentary swings from the pop to the political, all with the same light but incisive tone, which is what makes ‘The Blackening’ both entertaining and trenchant,” writes film critic Katie Walsh in her review. But the film is lacking in terms of its suspense and horror filmmaking. … It succeeds as a comedy but not quite as a horror film, the genre merely a setting and style for sending up insidious character stereotypes.”
Also on DVD
“You Hurt My Feelings”: The latest movie from filmmaker Nicole Holofcener stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies as a codependent couple forced to reckon with the little white lies they tell each other to keep their relationship running smoothly.
“Back to Life: Season One”: A woman returns to her coastal hometown after 18 years behind bars in this Showtime comedy-drama.
“Chicago Fire: Season 11”: Former cast member Jesse Spencer returns as Captain Matthew Casey, stepping in for Taylor Kinney as she dealt with a personal matter, in the 11th season of NBC’s Windy City fixture.
“Chicago Med: Season Eight”: Another of Dick Wolf’s Wednesday night dramas, the eighth season is the final one to feature Brian Tee and Nick Gehlfuss as cast members.
“CSI: Vegas – Season Two”: Franchise veteran Marg Helgenberger returns to the fold for the CBS drama’s sophomore season.
“Dead Man’s Hand”: Western about a newly married gunslinger attempting to settle down who can’t escape his violent past.
“NCIS: The Twentieth Season”: The long-running CBS drama hits the 450-episode mark in Season 20.
“Bo Widerberg’s New Swedish Cinema”: Four-disc box set from the Criterion Collection containing four 1960s films from the Nordic director.
