Written and directed by Bomani J. Story, Vicaria is a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured. After the brutal murder of her brother, she embarks on a dangerous journey to bring him back to life. Starring: Laya DeLeon Hayes, Chad L. Coleman, Denzel Whitaker, Edem Atsu-Swanzy, Reilly Brooke Stith, Amani Summer, Keith Holliday and Tracie Frank.
Initially, it’s an excellent idea to take the basis of prejudice, crime and the vicious cycle of violence, drugs and poverty to create a foundation for this film. Social issues and horror go together really well and it’s enhanced further by Vicaria’s (Laya DeLeon Hayes) fervent dedication to rebalancing the scales, to right the wrongs in her life. As well as of course being inspired by one of the most iconic and lasting pieces of horror fiction, Frankenstein.
Bomani J. Story kicks things off well, there’s a strong style, use of colour and the tone establishes itself quickly. Elements to its direction feel akin to films like Sound of Violence or Candyman, being modern yet not chaining itself to that time, it has a fluidity to it. It also does a great job reflecting the youth of Vicaria in its style, it’s dark and violent but there’s also an edge of adventure, fantasy and theatricality to it.
One of the strongest elements to it is undoubtedly the performance from Laya DeLeon Hayes. She takes the lead with effortless energy, she brings superbly strong-willed and intelligent qualities to Vicaria. While The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster mostly strays into social issues rather than Frankenstein’s typical hubris, Hayes does bring through a great underlying layer of ego. She establishes the best of intentions but to a certain degree she is also trying to test the limits and be known for revolutionary work.
Unfortunately, all the great work that it does, doesn’t last very long. While it makes a brilliant introduction, it can’t sustain itself for the long run. The story slips into classic threatening behaviour, hitting a lot of stereotypes and the way that it progresses simply doesn’t work. It starts to drag its heels and feels as though its focus was only ever on the beginning and the end.
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster had an interesting idea with a lot of potential but it feels as though Bomani J. Story didn’t know where to take it. It starts off brilliantly and makes a fantastic impression but it’s sadly short lived, so while the leading performance from Laya DeLeon Hayes is well worth watching, the film doesn’t live up to her talent.
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