Vicaria is a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured. After the brutal and sudden murder of her brother, she embarks on a dangerous journey to bring him back to life. Writer and director Bomani J. Story makes his directorial debut, THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER, as a reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic literary horror story, Frankenstein, filmed through a modern lens. Having World Premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, Bomani J. Story undeniably pushes boundaries while breaking down barriers in the film industry. THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER, is an essential piece of contemporary horror cinema that shows what happens when Black creators are given the space to tell their stories. Director and writer Bomani J. Story joins us to talk about casting Laya DeLeon Hayes in the leading role of Vicaria, watching her blossom in that crucial role, his use of sound and set design, finding a way to skillfully blend horror, comedy, family trauma and social commentary and putting a new spin on a very familiar tale.
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About the filmmaker – Bomani J. Story was born in Riverside, California and raised in Redlands, California. Growing up, Bomani always had a love of reading literature and watching films. He even spent time writing his own short stories as a child. Upon graduation from high school, Bomani cut his teeth on filmmaking when he started making short films with his fellow collaborators. After two years at San Bernardino Valley College, Bomani was accepted into the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts to study film production. After graduating from USC in 2010, he began honing his skills as a writer and director. In 2018, he wrote his first feature, “Rock Steady Row“. The film World Premiered at the 2018 Slamdance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury and Audience Award for Best Feature Film. From there, he went on to write his second feature and directorial debut, “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster“, which World Premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival. The film then screened at the 2023 Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival where it won Best Horror/Sci-fi Feature and Best Director – Narrative Feature for Bomani. The film also screened at the 2023 Calgary Underground Film Festival where it won Best Narrative Feature. “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster” was sold to RLJE films, and is headed for a U.S. theatrical release on June 9, 2023.
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“A horror ride with a unique and contemporary artistic vision.” – Sabina Dana Plasse, Film Threat
“In a tight 92-minute runtime, the film takes us through a community as a microcosm of culture, delivers shivering gore, and crafts characters worth caring about.” – Peyton Robinson, RogerEbert.com
“Though we know the story, nothing about Angry Black Girl and Her Monster ever feels stale or staid, and the film plays like a monstrous scream into the darkness.” – Brent McKnight, The Last Thing I See
“Fiery, passionate and deeply intelligent, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster takes Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and creates something altogether its own.” – Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, AWFJ.org
“Bomani J. Story’s The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster is as heartbreaking as it is terrifying. The scariness doesn’t come so much from the jump scares as it does the tragic subject matter.” – Cassondra Feltus, Black Girl Nerds