We’re entering The Blumhouse! Through the month of October we will be heart monitoring four releases from Blumhouse productions. These are the first of eight suspenseful films that will be streaming on Amazon Prime. First up is Black Box (2020), a thriller with a ‘Black Mirror‘ like synopsis and heart racing potential. Find out how the film affected our test subject who has a fear of new technology.
Where to Watch:
SYNOPSIS:
“After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.”
Test Subject: Leah
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Fears: Technophobia (Fear of Technology)
Resting HR: 60-65bpm
Walking HR: 80-85bpm
ANALYSIS:
One minor jumpscare kicked off the film lifting our subject’s heart rate above her resting average. Sixteen minutes into Black Box her pulse began to speed up as an uncomfortable cracking sound effect had our subject cringing. A haunting score paired with eerie imagery added to the dark and dismal atmosphere. But the scary scenes were predictable. Our subject knew when to clutch her pillow which prevented her numbers from soaring. One unsettling moment which blurred the lines of reality led to her peak heart rate of 78bpm. And a revelation halfway through the film introduced more thrilling plot points but unfortunately diminished scares. One final spike however proved that even gripping scenes can raise the heart rate.
CONCLUSION:
Black Box (2020) is a terrific but tragic tale of technology and human consciousness. The film’s creepy visuals may haunt our subject’s dreams but failed to produce enough high heart rate numbers to be considered terrifying. She was enthralled with the storyline but found it to be more heartbreaking than heart racing. Still this new thriller can burn off enough calories for the glass of wine you’ll need to drown your tears.
Black Box: Burns an average of 144 Calories
Black Box Merlot (1 Glass): 122 Calories
How many Fear Calories did you burn watching Black Box? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
