Tonight is 'The Curse of Bridge Hollow'

A strong representation of African Americans in this film features evil spirits and horror-themed elements.

The Curse of Bridge Hollow is a 2022 horror movie that is centered around an African American girl who moves into town during the spooky season. A Halloween-hating dad reluctantly teams up with his teenage daughter, when an evil spirit wreaks havoc by making their town’s decorations come to life. There is not only a strong representation of African Americans, but also many elements related to the horror theme. This article will discuss the strong representation of African Americans and elements of horror.

For one, viewers easily notice that the main character, Sydney Gordon (Priah Ferguson) is an African American girl who lives with her family, consisting of African-American parents. Her father (Marlon Wayans) is somebody who doesn’t believe in horror stories. However, everything changes when they suddenly find the decorations brought to life.

The decorations that are brought to life are indicated by their glowing red eyes. This is one of the special effects emphasizing the plot in this horror story. The evil spirit that is cursing the town is shown by the red spirit which is only visible by its color. Other special effects include wind gusts, vortexes, and pitch darkness.

The title of this movie, “The Curse of Bridge Hollow,” references the old tale of a suburban town being cursed with something unexpected during the night and elements related to the themes of horror and fantasy. The evil spirit, indicated by the visible red spirit element, symbolizes black magic. Black magic is an element found in fantasies. The curse itself is an element also found in fantasies. Since this movie is live-action, viewers see a combination of fantasy elements, horror elements, and realism in our world.

There is a major Disney reference in this horror movie. The young girl who is dressed in black and white, wearing a red jewel, red lipstick, and a black-and-white wig looks like a young Estella, from Disney’s Cruella (2021). Another Disney reference is the use of magic.

Though we see a strong representation of African Americans in this horror movie, there are generally unfavorable reviews. Some people say there is a poor reference to the Black Plague in this movie. Others say there is strong usage of language inappropriate for younger audiences.

Overall, The Curse of Bridge Hollow is a horror movie that anyone can remember.