“Welcome to the Blumhouse” BLACK BOX & THE LIE Review

This month, Blumhouse Television launches four new films exclusively to Prime Video, under the moniker “Welcome to the Blumhouse”. Today marks the release of the first two films, Black Box and The Lie, the rest to come next week. The two stories span different genres, with one being science-fiction and the other a more realistic thriller, but both being connected by family heartache and tragedy.

BLACK BOX

A man struggles with life as a single father after a car accident took both his wife and his memory. In an attempt to fix his condition, and become a better parent to his young daughter, he opens his mind to a new treatment that will have him experiencing some horrifying disconnected memories.

Starring Mamoudou Athie and Phylicia Rashad, Black Box is perhaps the most “Black Mirror“-esque of the offerings. It examines the lengths we as humans may go to, in order to reconnect with our lost consciousness, our lost loved ones – but most importantly, how we handle grief.

Throughout the film, we are connected to Athie’s character as he struggles to cope with his new life. We feel as though the grief over his wife’s death is the part that ails him the most, but like any great science-fiction twist, the film is certainly not as simple as it seems on the surface. It explores themes of identity, interpersonal relationships, and poses a question of being. Who are we – our body or our mind? It’s not the most existential film you’ll ever see, but I do think it is a wonderful character-driven story with an immensely talented cast.

THE LIE

Two parents will go through extremes to protect their 15-year-old daughter, after she kills her best friend in an impulsive fit of rage. But while they attempt to cover up the crime for her sake, their lies will dig them in deeper, and perhaps unveil the dark truth about their child.

Written and directed by Veena Sud, The Lie stars Joey King, Mireille Enos, and Peter Sarsgaard as the morally questionable family. It’s a truly disturbing look at the lengths parents will go to to save their children from the consequences of their actions. The film itself is a complicated thriller with an ever-evolving story that keeps you in suspense of how this family can untangle themselves from their web of deceit.

A sort of cautionary tale, the film is an extremely bleak story that spirals out of control, with an ending that packs a shocking punch. While Blumhouse is best known for its scary flicks, The Lie proves once again that the production house can produce well crafted dramas surrounding the true horrors of the human condition.