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Jay Ellis, vastly known for his role on <\/b>Insecure<\/i><\/b>, recently spoke with <\/b>Shadow and Act<\/i><\/b> about producing the new psychological horror film <\/b>Black Box<\/i><\/b> and how crucial it is to amplify Black voices, especially in genres where people of color are often underrepresented or utilized as plot devices.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Black Box<\/i><\/b> tells the story of single father Nolan Wright (Mamoudou Athie) who loses both his wife and his memory in a tragic car accident. He starts an experimental treatment introduced to him by Dr. Lillian Brooks (Phylicia Rashad), a neuropsychiatrist who uses a hypnosis-inducing device called the \u201cBlack Box\u201d to work with the subconscious mind and potentially restore lost memories. Yet, this device takes Nolan deep into his shattered-psyche, unearthing the haunting memories of his dark past and leading him to question who he truly is.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
This unique psychological thriller is a result of the joined efforts of Lisa Bruce (Blumhouse, producer of <\/b>Get Out<\/i><\/b>), Jay Ellis and Aaron Bergman (Black Bar Mitzvah), and Amazon Television.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Ellis shared his thoughts with <\/b>Shadow and Act<\/i><\/b> about the experience of working behind the camera, referring to it as a \u201cwhole different animal.\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cGetting to be on this side was a great educational experience. It was very uncomfortable in a way, and when I say that I mean the uncomfortability of figuring it all out and pieces not coming together exactly the way you want them to,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the moment, it was an uncomfortable challenge, but I liked it. Getting to tell a story with a first-time writer of color \u2013 a young Black man \u2013 a first-time director of color \u2013 a Nigerian-American man \u2013 and this amazing cast, to help these guys tell a story and bring their vision for this film to screen, I\u2019m honored to be able to do it.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
Ellis\u2019s own production company Black Bar Mitzvah was co-founded a few years ago with Aaron Bergman. The goal is to create fruitful opportunities for Black actors in Hollywood who have struggled to free themselves from the industry\u2019s standards that have placed them in a box.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0More and more, there\u2019s a need to tell the stories that haven\u2019t yet been told from marginalized groups, and Ellis is using his platform to create space for this.\u00a0 \u201cWe really wanted to champion those voices and give those filmmakers and storytellers an opportunity to get into rooms,\u201d he said.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
With <\/b>Black Box<\/i><\/b>, we see a continuation of Black psychological horror films, which has fortunately been on the rise within the last five years (<\/b>Get Out<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>Us<\/i><\/b>, and<\/b> Antebellum<\/i><\/b>, to name a few).\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cThe film bringing all these pieces together with a cast of people of color in a genre where we typically don\u2019t get to see [us] 100% fits the bill for what we do, and that\u2019s across all genres \u2013 comedies, dramas, horror stories, etc.,\u201d Ellis told <\/b>Shadow and Act<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you watch [<\/b>Black Box<\/i><\/b>], know that you are a part of the future as well, because a lot of times we\u2019re not in those futuristic stories. We can be in these kinds of genres of films, be entertained, and still connect to people whether they look like us or not.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n