Every family has a history, and this family is no different. Based on the New York Times bestselling novel, Black Cake tells the story of a Caribbean girl’s search for empathy and peace as she travels through the years, and to multiple places in the world, while fleeing her complicated past on the island she grew up on.
Black Cake is told in a two-timeline narrative that covers Covey’s life in the 1960s and Byron and Benny’s experience of listening to their mother Eleanor recount her life to them in the present day. We also get to see Byron and Benny’s current struggles of love and career, which show that the two are grappling with their own complicated lives in the wake of their mother’s passing.
The show stars Mia Isaac as our main character, Covey, a young lady from Jamaica whose dreams are firmly planted in the water and whose life is about to get very complicated as she is forced to flee her home after her husband is murdered on their wedding day. Covey’s search for stability and a place to belong is both harrowing and inspiring. It’s also important to note that this is taking place in the 1960s, when things were already dangerous and precarious for black women.
In the present day, two siblings are listening to a recording of their mother, Eleanor, recounting her life to them after she has passed away from cancer. It’s within these recordings that Byron (played by Ashley Thomas) and Benny (played by Adrienne Warren) learn that what they thought they knew about their mother’s past is not as simple as it once seemed. But Byron and Benny have their own tangled webs that they must untangle.
Black Cake is based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Charmaine Wilkerson, and like most adaptations, the show has the Herculean task of translating a story told through text to a story that’s now being told in a visual medium. So, does it do a good job of telling the story? The answer is a resounding yes. Speaking of the cinematography alone, the show is shot beautifully. The settings are showcased with unique visual motifs so that as soon as a scene starts, you can tell exactly where and when it’s taking place within the story, from Jamaica’s bright and sunny colors to the muted and overcast tones of England. Each scene is done so well that at times it feels like we are intruding on a moment we weren’t meant to see.
Let’s also talk about the amazing casting. There are some familiar faces, such as Glynn Turman, Eleanor’s attorney, and Isaac. Isaac previously starred in the MAX original movie Gray Matter. She does an amazing job of portraying all the ups and downs that Covey experiences as she tries her best to escape her past and make a life for herself.
Let’s also give both Warren and Thomas their flowers for their portrayals of Benny and Byron. Contrary to what some might think, it’s not easy to portray believable siblings, but these two nail it. This is most apparent when the two are bouncing off of one another in a way where they are going at it in an argument, but we still believe that there’s love there. Turman, as always, is a breath of fresh air. He is able to bring a calmness to the scenes he is in that is needed. Though Eleanor mostly appears in flashbacks and on the recording, Chipo Chung brings a palpable motherly warmth and presence that comes through each recollection. It’s easy to tell that although things at times were complicated, she loved her children deeply and wanted the best for them.
Before watching, it’s important to note that this series does tackle triggering topics such as abuse, assault, violence, racism, and things pertaining to parentage. Black Cake doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of humanity and the dangers that are lurking around every corner. This is something to appreciate, but it could also be harmful to those who are sensitive to certain subjects and events that take place in the story. There’s no fear of spoilers in this article, but it is imperative that anyone planning on diving into Black Cake know about these things.
Like the titular dessert, Black Cake is about the things we pass down to our children and the dichotomy of inheritance. Some things are worth keeping and others are better left in the past, where they can no longer do damage. Truthfulness is the only way to break generational curses and to heal from the wounds left behind. You can watch Black Cake on Hulu beginning with the first three episodes November 1.
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