Horror Movie Review: The Black String (2018)

On face value, The Black String feels like just another psychological horror film with supernatural elements. One that comes across disjointed and fragmented at times. However, it’s a worthwhile investment as it has some refreshing plot developments and ties most of its loose ends up nicely. Although, one such loose end is to its detriment, but we’ll get to that.

Directed by Brian Hanson who co-wrote it with Richard Handley, The Black String stars Frankie Muniz, Blake Webb, Chelsea Edmundson, Richard Handley, Cullen Douglas, Colby French, Laura Richardson, and Mary K. DeVault.

So, let’s get this out of the way first as it’s sure to be a distracting focus for those of a certain age group. Yes, the star of this movie is Frankie Muniz aka Malcolm of Malcolm in the Middle and Agent Cody Banks. That might be off-putting to some, after all, he’s not exactly known for his horror movies but rest assured he does a great job here.

He plays Jonathan Marsh, a lonely young man who has nothing really going on in his life except working at the local store. He seems like a nice enough guy who lacks the confidence to meet people so, while at home and seduced by the woman on screen, he decides to call a dating hotline.

This gets him a date, a date with Dena (Chelsea Edmundson) that doesn’t exactly go brilliantly. Wanting to be a gentleman about it, he turns down her advances but she manages to convince him to take her back to his apartment. There, she seduces him and they have sex.

The next morning, she is gone but she left him a gift seemingly, a nasty rash on his abdomen. Freaking out and believing it to be an STI, something not helped by his friend and colleague Eric (Blake Webb), he goes to the doctor but will have to wait a few days for the results.

Unwilling to just wait, Jonathan pays a visit to the Dena’s home, only to be told that she doesn’t live there. He tries to track her down via the hotline but is denied the information and even asks the staff at the diner they shared the date in. No-one knows her, remembers her or is willing to part with the information he needs.

Meanwhile, his rash is getting worse making him even more paranoid and he starts to be plagued by horrible visions. His parents and Eric begin to worry about his mental health. Something that begins to really fall apart as he becomes convinced that Dena is a witch who implanted something in him for her coven to harvest.

Is he right? Or will his paranoia send him on a path that will see innocent people hurt?

The film does a great job of not quite leaning towards one or the other. You’ll be convinced at many stages that Jonathan is 100% right then shortly afterwards begin to question his sanity. Certain things that defy logic are answered by the fact that Jonathan is suffering from delusions and he already had long-standing issues before. Credit to Muniz for making him feel like a character, one who straddles the line of likability and danger.

He is aided by a strong supporting cast too that helps build this confined mystery that will have you ask the question… what is so important about him? It’s a question that often comes up in horror and the way in which The Black String answers it, is immense.

It is such a shame though that the film doesn’t leave things up to your own interpretation in the final scene. Rather than have you questioning if most of what you saw was real, it chooses to give you a definitive answer. It’s a personal choice though as many will enjoy the conclusive ending.

The journey though? That’s something everyone can enjoy. It’s a well-constructed narrative that takes its time (a little too much in the middle) but pays it off satisfyingly.