Black Mold is a 2023 American horror film about an auspicious photographer as she explores a decrepit, abandoned facility and faces off against her traumatic past.
Written and directed by John Pata (Dead Weight; short: Pity; editor of The Stylist). Produced by Jill Gevargizian, Brett Hays, Sarah Sharp, Jennifer Shelby, Robert Patrick Stern and Tony Wash. Executive produced by Kyle Clark, Kevin McGrail, Curt Newsome and Grant Troyer.
The Head Trauma Productions-The Line Film Company co-production stars Agnes Albright, Andrew Bailes, Jeremy Holm, Caito Aase, Maisie Merlock, Jessica Ambuehl, Cate Rio and Leslie Lux.
Reviews [click links for full reviews]:
“Despite the obligatory flashback prologue, Black Mold takes its time in building up tension and avoids jump scares in place of a growing sense of disorientation. Don’t come to this movie for the adrenalin ride, as this is all about the performances; it’s pretty much a three-hander. Pata’s movie isn’t doing anything particularly new but he’s good at creating an internal world where escape seems possible but ultimately futile.” Bloody Flicks
“Paranoid, dark, bleak, intriguing, moody, creative, unique, trippy, tense, unsettling, chaotic, atmospheric, unsettling, clever, messy, well-made, well-scored, well-shot, well-written, and effective.” ★★ Cory, Letterboxd
“Black Mold is equal parts darkly beautiful and heartbreaking, with some very effective scares along the way. The characters and their experiences feel real and the chemistry between Albright and Bailes is authentic and charming. Perhaps most importantly if a film is going to make me feel my feelings and address my own guilt and grief I also want there to be some decent blood and violence and it absolutely pays off in that regard as well.” Downright Creepy
” …you can almost smell the oppressive atmosphere of the enigmatic building. Robert Patrick Stern’s cinematography captures the proceedings marvelously. Pata leaves some loose threads but the final 15 minutes or so provide a heck of a payoff. Black Mold is an eerie chiller that will draw viewers in with its creepy settings and puzzle pieces along with its mesmerizing visuals. ” Horror Fuel
“Albright is excellent as a woman with issues who isn’t wallowing in them but actually trying to use them. Actually, Bailes has the less stereotype role […] The real location evokes Session 9, though there’s an obvious change from dilapidated working environment to true dereliction…” The Kim Newman Web Site
” …a compelling but slow build toward the real emphasis on traditional horror, so be prepared for some patience […] The performances are strong, and the characters are well-written and relatable. Pata demonstrates tremendous technical skill, and his script is intriguing, darkly beautiful, and delivers enough solid scares to keep horror fans happy.” ★★★½, Morbidly Beautiful
“The movie creates an excellent feeling of unease and with effective scares shows the characters slowly losing their sense of reality. Black Mold is an unsettling journey through the minds of the characters.” ★★★ Movie Reviews 101
“Visually, this was really cool. I like abandoned settings. Agnes Albright as Brooke and Andrew Bailes as Tanner had a fun relationship and seemed to vibe well throughout. I liked how some of the scenes were edited, especially towards the end, but I didn’t like the trauma angle of this…” ★★½ Night Shift
“As hallucinogenic horrors start to take over the minds of the characters, Pata expertly turns the abandoned urban setting into a gothic hellscape. Haunting specters, thunderstorms, eerie lighting, and consuming shadows dominate the screen to create an ominous haunted house. And much like the creeping fungus mentioned in the title, Black Mold moves slowly until the very end when the past, present, supernatural, and organic terror all collide.” Nightmarish Conjurings
“Pata cuts expertly between his characters’ individual hallucinations and what other characters in the scene see without losing an ounce of momentum or danger. These moments are taut, fun, and wildly unpredictable, with a genuinely impressive ability to communicate each character’s given mental state and the threat that state poses to the other people in the room.” The Pitch
“Both Brooke and Tanner’s characterization may strain a viewer’s sympathies, while ‘The Man Upstairs’ lacks the menace his name may lead one to expect. The relationship between Brooke and her late father is similarly nebulous, yet the scares offered up by the film’s final third are worthy of the first two acts’ slow burn.” Rue Morgue
” …deadly spores aren’t particularly new, and I do appreciate some of the grotesque opportunities for body horror in fungus horror. Fortunately, this incarnation takes the added effort of strong character-building and utilizes its great set location to spin a superior brooding story that has some resonance and it is certainly worth a watch.” ★★ The Scariest Things
“Will we forget what has happened to us in the past, or are we doomed to be haunted by the memories of those past events until we repeat them or die? It is a bleak question with an even bleaker answer. Black Mold manages to swim in that darkness while still maintaining a level of fun that can often be lost in the heaviness of the subject matter.” Signal Horizon
“Black Mold is a horrifying journey through fear, self-loathing, and guilt backed by incredible performances. Pata cleverly correlates distrust, fear, and the decay of a maddening mind to the abandoned and decrepit buildings that frighten many of us. There is something uniquely ominous about a desolate and forgotten space. Like Brooke, they seem haunted by fractured memories that never fade.” ★★★★ Slay Away
YouTube reviews:
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Background:
Writer-director John Pata apparently conceived the idea for Black Mold in 2016 while exploring a dilapidated house. At the time, Pata was struggling with depression; he wrote a brief outline for the film, revisiting it and developing it in late 2020, after having attended therapy for his mental health struggles.
Pata recently commented: “Black Mold encompasses many of my own photographic experiences, as well as my journey with mental health, and the ongoing acceptance of losing my father at a young age. The film explores the dangers that can surface at the intersection of artistic pursuits and internal sabotage.”
Co-producer Jill Gevargizian added: “John was a huge inspiration for me when I first got into directing. It’s a pleasure to do whatever I can to help get him back in the director’s chair.”
Release:
Black Mold had its world premiere at Panic Fest in April 2023 and was also shown at the 2023 FrightFest on August 25, 2023. The movie will be available for streaming free on Tubi on December 7, 2023.
FrightFest blurb:
” …John Pata introduces the pitfalls of urban exploration with hallucinogenic psychological horror. Photographer Brooke and her pal Tanner sneak into abandoned, off-limits buildings for the sake of their art and also the adrenaline rush.
But when the daredevil pair break into their holy grail – Franklin Hill, a large facility with history – they encounter a volatile threat that holds them captive. The longer their attacker keeps them there, the more it becomes clear there’s something else profoundly wrong with the place as dangers surface at the intersection of artistic pursuits and internal sabotage.”
Cast and characters:
Agnes Albright … Brooke Konrad
Andrew Bailes … Tanner Behlman
Jeremy Holm … The Man Upstairs/Lukas Konrad
Caito Aase … CJ Mueller
Maisie Merlock … Young Brooke
Jessica Ambuehl … Leigh Konrad
Cate Rio … Phoebe Konrad
Leslie Lux … The Woman in White
Shannon McInnis … Woman at Funeral
Filming locations:
Illinois
Technical specs:
1 hour 32 minutes
