‘The Black Mass’ Review: A Fresh Take on a Familiar Topic

There are possible spoilers ahead for The Black Mass, so please proceed with caution. I tried my best to keep it to a minimum, but it was hard not to talk about certain things. Just be aware that it may spoil a surprise, but if you know, you know.

America’s obsession with serial killers just continues to grow, regardless of the heinous acts they’ve committed. There have been countless films, documentaries, books, and even trading cards devoted to their crimes, and people just can’t get enough. Ted Bundy remains one of the most fascinating examples. Having been convicted of close to thirty murders, he’s believed to have been responsible for many more.

His story has been told numerous times and told from different perspectives, but it’s The Black Mass (2023) that really goes to lengths in order to tell the story for the victims. It focuses on the attacks at FSU’s Chi Omega sorority house and the hours leading up to it. Actress Devanny Pinn makes her directorial debut and proves she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Inspired by real events, The Black Mass takes place over a 24-hour time frame, following a man as he increasingly begins to become unraveled before unleashing on several innocent women in Florida during the winter of 1978.

It really isn’t hard to figure out who the killer is, especially if you’re familiar with the source material. What’s most important is how the story unfolds. Director Pinn makes a brilliant choice to never focus on the killer himself. Most of the camera angles are his POV or over his shoulder, never focusing on who he is, instead bestowing that upon those he obsesses over, the victims of his eventual attacks.

The film boasts a stellar cast, both upcoming as well as seasoned performers, allowing them to really shine. The cast includes Eva Hamilton, Sarah Nicklin, Jennifer Wenger, and vets like Kathleen Kinmont, Lisa Wilcox, Jeremy London, Lew Temple, and Eileen Dietz. There are several others who give their all to the roles while the story serves their characters and not the killer.

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With the story by Pinn, the script is credited to Brandon Slagle and Eric Pereira, paying very close attention to detail, making sure it’s as authentic as possible. The film really captures the essence of the ’70s, which is an impressive feat in itself, considering the independent production most likely wasn’t given a massive budget to work with.

Cleopatra Entertainment and MVD Visual have brought The Black Mass to disc in an impressive-looking presentation that lacks special features, but considering how good the film is, it really doesn’t matter much. It would have been nice to have a commentary track or at least an interview with the director included because I’d really like to hear more about her approach to the material. The film stands on its own and gives the victims the chance to be at the forefront, not their attacker.

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