Horror Noire

by Robin R. Means Coleman

From King Kong to Candyman , the boundary-pushing genre of horror film has always been a site for provocative explorations of race in American popular culture. This book offers a comprehensive chronological survey of Black horror from the 1890s to present day. In this second edition, Robin R. Means Coleman expands upon the history of notable characterizations of Blackness in horror cinema, with new chapters spanning the 1960s, 2000s, and 2010s to the present, and examines key levels of Black participation on screen and behind the camera. The book addresses a full range of Black horror films, including mainstream Hollywood fare, art-house films, Blaxploitation films, and U.S. hip-hop culture-inspired Nollywood films. This new edition also explores the resurgence of the Black horror genre in the last decade, examining the success of Jordan Peele’s films Get Out (2017) and Us (2019), smaller independent films such as The House Invictus (2018), and Nia DaCosta’s sequel to Candyman (2021). Means Coleman argues that horror offers a unique representational space for Black people to challenge negative or racist portrayals, and to portray greater diversity within the concept of Blackness itself. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how fears and anxieties about race and race relations are made manifest, and often challenged, on the silver screen.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, History, Film, Race, Art, Audiobook

402 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2011

About the author

Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman is Northwestern’s vice president and associate provost for diversity and inclusion. An internationally prominent and award-winning scholar, Dr. Coleman’s work focuses on media studies and the cultural politics of Blackness

Reviews

[exorcismemily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Horror films come out of the imaginations of a diverse cadre of image-makers."

The documentary Horror Noire was one of the best things I watched last year, and I was very excited to learn that it was based on a book. This book is very well-researched and informative, and I learned about a lot of movies that I haven't seen.

I think the documentary and book are really good companions - the book goes a little more in-depth into the synopses, but getting to see people's faces while they talk about movies and characters adds a whole extra layer. I'm glad I was finally able to read this book! In case you're interested in reading it, I was able to rent a copy of the e-book for my Kindle.

[Nev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a great time reading this book. It’s an engaging look at the history and evolution of Black representation in American horror movies. Robin R. Means Coleman explores the differences between “Black horror films” and “Blacks in horror films” and how race and other factors are presented differently when there are Black creatives behind the scenes.

For people who are interested in the topic but aren’t ready to read 400 pages of nonfiction, there is a 2019 documentary adaptation called Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror that’s a great introduction to what is covered in the book. The documentary is under 90 minutes, so it doesn’t go as in-depth as the book. But it’s great to be able to see clips of the movies they’re discussing.

This second edition starts in the silent film era and goes up through modern films like Get Out, Us and the new version of Candyman. There’s a lot of analysis of different tropes, themes, character types, and actors. In addition to racism, the author also discusses how misogyny and homophobia impacted the movies she’s covering within the book. The writing never felt too academic or dry, I flew through it in a couple of days.

I definitely recommend this book for horror movie fans or just for people who are interested in seeing how Black representation has evolved over the years in one specific genre.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coleman's Horror Noire offers a fascinating exploration of race in American culture through an examination of the roles Blacks played in front of and behind the camera in horror films from the 1890s through the late 2000s.

Coleman, who's a professor in both the department of Communication Studies and Afroamerican and African Studies at University of Michigan Ann Arbor, spends time upfront drawing the distinction between Black horror films and Blacks in horror films (the former having a narrative focus that calls attention to racial identity, the latter being just what it sounds like), then does a brief overview of everything pre-1930s before launching into a more thorough and thematic decade-by-decade examination. Her writing as she offers a mix of history, biography, filmography, and analysis is straightforward and lucid, avoiding the worse of academese except in quotes she's pulled from other works.

The only issue I really had with Horror Noire was the author's very broad definition of what constituted "horror." While it's true that one woman's bedtime story is another woman's tale of creeping horror (I'm lookin' at you, Prince Too-Charming-To-Worry-About-Consent!) and that genre definitions are fluid, some of the films included, particularly the religious ones featured in the section on the 1940s, didn't fit the bill for me. Other than that, my only other disappointment was that Coleman didn't make use of what seemed like the world's most obvious jumping-off point, the opening scenes of Scream 2 where Jada Pinkett Smith and Omar Epps (amid other deconstructions) debate the role of blacks in horror movies. But then, maybe it was too obvious?

Aside from those minor quibbles, Horror Noire is an educational and entertaining look at an under-examined genre through a cultural lens we should use more often. But fair warning - expect it to treble your Netflix queue.

[Allyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful history on Black American Horror movies... I learned so much from this book. I will keep coming back to this again and again, not only for the history provided but for the thought provoking commentary. Not to mention the list of movies to watch!

[Tati Lopatiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leitura bem interessante, dá pra aprender muito sobre o contexto de produção de muitos filmes desde a invenção do cinema e como eles se encaixam em questões sociais como racismo, homofobia e misoginia.

[Ana Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um livro COMPLETÍSSIMO para discutir a representação e participação negra no cinema de horror! Que trabalho de pesquisa e texto maravilhosos!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin R. Means Coleman takes us through the history of Blacks and Black representation in horror movies, focusing of course more on Blacks as represented in movies made by Whites since the majority of the canon is under that banner. Coleman, through extensive research and experience with horror movies, breaks down Black representation, its heights and valleys (and, when you get into films as early as Birth of a Nation, where a valley of racist imagery is being kind). The era of Blacksploitation, moments when people of color have taken the opportunity to tell the story rather than be the residual sacrificial lamb, or initial death, or comic relief. Of course, this book isn't just a scree, but Coleman gives credit where it's earned, like Night of the Living Dead and The Thing, and of course notes where the gaps appear. I really loved how elegantly and completely Coleman identified the problems of the Magical Negro trope, how it dehumanizes Black characters and shows to what extent a Black character needs to be considered at all human. There is also a documentary stemming from this book that isn't just a recap of Coleman's points but takes it further into marvelous extents. This book should be required reading--not just for horror fans, but just so you can see the limits we continually suffer with in our media.

[Marina Garrido · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that most horror fans, at least the ones that reside in countries where the streaming platform Shudder is available, are familiar with the 2019 documentary film Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. What some may not know is that the documentary is based on a non-fiction book written by Robin R. Means Coleman, Ph.D. in 2011 Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present. Seeing as I cannot access Shudder in Brasil, I can’t speak about how the book compares to the documentary, but what I can say is that it’s an incredibly in-depth piece of work that does a wonderful job of presenting the history of Black horror. Coleman addresses a wide range of Black horror films in her book (mainstream Hollywood, art-house, Blaxploitation, direct-to-DVD, Nigerian “Nollywood” Black horror, etc) and does so chronologically, which aids her in showing how past films have contributed to and influenced horror.

What stands out the most to me regarding the manner in which the book is written is how comprehensive and objective it is. I graduated in Literature and, because of that, have had to read endless academic research and papers such as this one, but the majority of them were pretentious, often using flowery language and overcomplicated metaphors and similes, confusing timelines, and more. It’s no secret that Academia is still incredibly sexist and racist, the majority of academics go through to exclude women, POC, and queer individuals not only by erasing them from the research papers but also by alienating readers that weren’t already experts in the field. Coleman’s book is a much-needed breath of fresh air, it provides a comprehensive survey of black representation in the horror genre through clear and well-structured arguments, which ensures that anyone who wishes to learn more about the subject is able to read/understand it.

As for the content, Horror Noire is highly informative, it presents to the reader many horror movies that have been mostly forgotten or overlooked, and they are accompanied by Coleman’s historical contextualization of U.S events that influenced the portrayals of Blacks in horror movies. That historical context was extra handy for me, a Brazilian, and it ensures that international readers get the full picture of how U.S. culture and politics influenced those movies and how, in turn, those movies impacted their society. The exploration of race in American horror movies done by Coleman shows what we already knew: those films (as the ones in all the other genres as well) have always been racist and perpetuated harmful stereotypes. I am ashamed to say that I wasn’t aware of how hurtful and racist many of the stereotypes used by horror were, and it wasn’t until the author collected them and pointed out what was behind those stereotypes/settings. For example, the section that focused on horror movies from the 80s discussed how the setting of the films, especially slashers, had migrated from the city (which was now associated with Black “hoods”) to the suburbs, where everyone was white, both victims and killers. Coleman goes on to note how, during that decade and part of the next one, it was almost impossible to find Black people in horror movies that weren’t set in cities, and how the ones that were set there depicted Black neighborhoods as filled with mindless violence, gangs, squalid poverty, and the likes without ever discussing the reasons why non-white living spaces face those issues.

This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of the horror genre as a whole and how “fears and anxieties about race and race relations are made manifest [...] on the silver screen” (Goodreads’ plot summary). I recommend this, especially to my fellow white horror lovers, it is our duty to research and learn more about how racism was, and is, represented in our culture and media so that we can be conscious of what we consume and how harmful a lot of movies (and books) are to the Black community. Of course, that knowledge must be paired with action, educate your friends on it, point out racism when and where you see it, and listen to people of color when they tell us a piece of media we like is actually very harmful. To sum up, you should absolutely read this book, and watch the movies mentioned if you can, but don’t stop there because the information is worth nothing if it’s not put to good use.

[no elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

robin r. means coleman thankfully doesn't do dense theory like, say, carol j. clover but she does offer a lot to feminist-friendly horror criticism/history. this is a fantastic overview of black ppl in horror and she brings two important ideas to the table: "blacks in horror" vs "black horror" and her Black Enduring Woman, which is a sister in theory to clover's tired Final Girl.

one thing that bummed me out a little, for entirely personal preferential reasons, is that while she spent a lot of time addressing wes craven's contributions to black horror/blacks in horror (the people under the stairs, the serpent and the rainbow, vampire in brooklyn) she never talked about the opening to scream 2 where phil stevens (omar epps) and maureen evans (jada pinkett smith) talk the role of blacks in mainstream horror waiting in line to see an entry into scream's meta stab series, shortly before they are brutally murdered. this doesn't take away from the book at all, it's just something i would have liked to see.

[ElphaReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must for horror fans. While it was written in 2011 so it's not as up to date as it could be, it traces, analyzes, and explores the role of Black people in American horror films from the 1890s to the early 21st century. From BIRTH OF A NATION to KING KONG to WHITE ZOMBIE to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to CANDYMAN, Coleman goes in depth as he slowly deconstructs how Black people have functioned in horror films as time has gone on, and how the Black film community has made responses to the white dominated genre. I'd be VERY curious to see an update of this with analyses on GET OUT and the upcoming US. Important history and information that all horror fans should read up on.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great introduction to the role of black people and blackness in horror movies. What you get is a syllabus of movies to explore and tends in horror movies. Black horror never had a moment, or a golden period. Even the advent of "Get Out" did not create that. But there are touchstones throughout the 20th and 21st century that are worth exploring. I enjoyed the accompanying documentary of the same name more, since it includes interviews and actual film clips to augment the content and make it more enriching. A better book than the follow-up "The Black Guy Dies First."

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's hard to shove every horror movie in this book but I would've loved a discussion on 2004's "Dawn of the Dead" starring Ving Rhames, or a note on "Return of the Living Dead 3" which quite possibly has one of the most egregious examples of a magical negro character. But, overall this was a thorough and fantastic read.

(shame it was written just slightly too early and couldn't include Jordan Peeles horror rennaissence with "Get Out" but alas, that's hat the Shudder doc is for.)

[Carla (There Might Be Cupcakes Podcast)]

I had to DNF, and am quite disappointed to do so.

The audiobook narrator mispronounced several words. Plus, the author repeated several words and phrases (“hence”, “for example”), sometimes in the same sentence, making reading tedious and this detracted from the subject matter.

The book largely consists of movie plot synopses, where I expected scholarly discussion in depth.

My recommendation is to enjoy the excellent documentary inspired by the book instead.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting discussion of race and horror films. Made me rethink how I am discussing horror in my dissertation. Most of the films discussed were new to me--I really do not watch a lot of horror films LOL. However, I think I got more out of the documentary version/adaptation of the book, because the visuals really helped me understand some of what was described on the page.

[Julia Gonçalves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Algumas análises são legais, outras nem tanto...
O livro tem coisas bem interessantes, mas é um pouco massante e repetitivo.
Mas a gota d'água pra mim, que me fez diminuir bem a nota, foi a parte em que ela fala de Thriller, do Michael Jackson. NOJENTO a forma com que a autora fala do Michael. Tanto moralismo pra no final atacar um homem negro com os mesmo argumentos utilizados pelos brancos...

[Vicente Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

só pelo escopo da tese já seria 10/10, porque falar de décadas e décadas de filmes de terror deve ter sido um trabalhão do cacete. e a análise da autora é muito boa e levanta muitas questões e novas perspectivas sobre a representatividade negra nesse gênero. terminei a leitura com uma boa listinha de filmes para ver hehehe

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coleman chronologically writes about blacks in horror films, differentiating between "Black Horror" and "Blacks in Horror." Some of the fims she speaks about, especially in the early centuries, may not qualify as horror in the traditional sense, but their depiction of racism is quite terrifying.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A revised edition of a modern classic in horror studies, Robin Means Horror Noire provides a detailed exploration of both Black horror and horror films with Black characters in them from the birth of cinema into the early pandemic.

[Bigamama V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent start to learning about the beginnings of African Americans in Horror movies and Black Horror movies. A great companion to the documentary 'Horror Noire' on Shudder.

[Paul Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the analysis, but too much of the text was dominated by film synopses.

[Isadora Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

brasileiros, leiam.
já dizia et bilu: busquem conhecimento.

[Doris Raines · Rating 2 out of 5]

HORROR BOOK .

[Karen Kohoutek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody needs to me to tell them that this book is great, but it is. Read it!

[Autumn J Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly interesting and so well researched.
Could easily read again after having watched more of the films she references.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd edition

[b1nha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leitura didática, visceral e muito completa. Recomendo muito para quem quer entender sobre as relações raciais nos filmes até mesmo fora do terror!!

[João Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lista no letterboxd com todos os filmes citados no livro: https://boxd.it/qgysK

[Andrew Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astounding, eye opening, and comprehensive. Loved the documentary and highly recommended both media!

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very good. Clear, punchy, and nicely organized/argued. I would have liked to see more films covered but that's probably limited by what's available as opposed to oversight.

[DaniPhantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look into black people’s roles in the horror genre, from the 1800s all the way to the present. I really liked how it pointed out the real life horrors that were portrayed by white actors committing blackface, such as lynchings and abuse.