On a rare 29th day of February 2020, I gave a lecture for Toronto’s Black Museum: Lurid Lectures for the Morbidly Curious on The Omega Man and the inadvertently Afrofuturist themes called The Omega Man’s Utopian Dystopia. I spoke about how this classic film has an Afrofuturistic bent without seemingly trying. Sure, it was a little over the top and there were too many themes to make the whole script come together, but the film really grasped the inclusion of people of color in a post-apocalyptic world. This aspect really spoke to me as a genre-loving film critic and writer, so I felt compelled to finally write about why films like The Omega Man are important to move the industry forward towards more inclusivity.
With the state of things being what they are and most of the western world under lockdown, I have the time to review and discuss some genre films that really embrace the inclusion of POC, be it through Afrofuturism or otherwise. You’ll notice films created by people of color but there are several films directed by white filmmakers. I’m including them because these creators insisted on diverse leads and casts. This does not in any way mean that we have finally come to a place of sunshine and diversity, but I felt it was important to reference them for what they’re doing right, and how the industry as a whole can move forward to broaden its monolithically narrow-minded horizons. I hope you enjoy this series and that the films I discuss and review here inspire viewers and creators to reach further than what we’re spoon-fed so diverse stories can be told. Please rent or buy a copy of the film if you can, and post, tweet, and retweet about these films because as we rebuild after this time in quarantine, we need to show there will be room for diverse stories.
We are in plain sight, our stories have value and our voices will be heard. #Inplainsight
View From the Dark 