MG Byam

There are those who will "get it" and those who won't. The "horror" in THEM is racism and, unlike what some negative reviewers have written, it is not meant to castigate all White people for being racist. Instead, the film throws the utter madness and sheer terror of racist ideologies at you both in a subtle and IN YOUR FACE manner. It never lets up and this may be off putting to many. Yet, this was/is the realty that Black folks lived with then and certainly now. Sure, it has changed its face from the 1950's to 2021, but it is still there; racism simply never lets up. One can learn to live with it: ignore some things, fight others, contain your rage, protect your family, and try live your best possible life. That is what the family in this film attempts to do. But, the manifested principals of white supremacy try to stop them at every turn. Interestingly, the film also brings out how the burden of this hatred negatively impacts White people. So blinded by their fear and dislike of "the other", they quickly blame the Black family for all that is wrong in society, while failing to see the demons who live amongst them- the abusive husband, the "Karen", the psychopath. Wealth, brightly painted homes, manicured lawns, and of course white skin and privilege hide the evil that lives behind their closed doors. Black or White, this movie will not be comfortable to watch. It is not meant to be. It is scary, tense, and yes, perhaps even offensive in many of the subjects that it touches upon; religion and racism, White women and racism, policing and racism and even a hatred of self as a result of racism. But, rather than getting angry or scared, I believe the filmmakers are demanding that we confront the ideology of hate head on and not sweep it under a rug or hide it behind something pretty. Because, as you will see in one very dramatic and telling scene, racism, like the mold growing behind the beautiful wallpaper, won't disappear. Left untreated, it simply continues to fester and grow.