SUGAR HILL (1974)
I was late to the SUGAR HILL (1974) party, but I am now one of the loudest people at the party. Like most of the Blaxpotation gems I have fallen in love with this decade, I learned about it while watching HORROR NOIRE: A HISTORY OF BLACK HORROR on Shudder in 2020. Not only did the documentary undo everything predominantly white criticism had convinced me 1970s Black cinema stood for. It also introduced me to a list of films that deserved better and refilled my spite battery. One of the baddest of the list is SUGAR HILL, and I need genre fans to put more respect on her name immediately. This gem sits at 67% on Rotten Tomatoes with only nine critic reviews, and we need to fix that today.
SUGAR HILL follows Diana "Sugar" Hill (Marki Bey) on her quest for revenge. Local mobsters kill her boyfriend after he refuses to sell his nightclub to them. These gangsters do not realize they made a powerful enemy and are not prepared for Diana's wrath. She turns to Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully) and they summon the voodoo lord of the dead, Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley) and his army of zombies. Together, they take down these thugs and gift the audience a Blaxploitation superhero.
Bey's performance is a thing of beauty. She is powerful, fun, smart, gorgeous, and unafraid to backhand a racist with or without her zombie squad. Her, her ‘fro, and her iconic white jumpsuit getting back at mobsters who tried the wrong baddie is goals. I am sad I did not know about this movie sooner, because the spiteful child I was would have kept this on repeat. I often wonder if SUGAR HILL was one of the reference points for HBO Max's Watchmen's Sister Night character. Both characters make me a very happy Blerd and refuse to suffer fools.
I walk away more in love with our lead's costumes and hair every rewatch. For instance, I love that when she is Diana by day, her hair is down, and she is wearing mostly fashionable 1970s attire. The iconic green dress she finds her dead partner in, and the blue pants and jacket combo she dons when she visits Mama Maitresse, stand out in my mind. Although, the outfits she wears when having to deal with the racist mob boss and his annoying girlfriend are also works of art. However, when she is in revenge mode, her hair is in a cute afro, and she is wearing a white jumpsuit with a plunging neckline and red collar.
I had the privilege of seeing SUGAR HILL in 35mm at this year's Brooklyn Horror Film Festival in a theater. It was my first time not catching it on TV at home, and it proved that this film is gorgeous in ways that most of us will never comprehend. The zombies' eyes glow differently, and I can see where people would have been afraid in 1974. The beautiful color scheme was also finally done some justice in what felt like an almost immersive experience. I will still watch this flick at home, but it is never going to be the same. It was also awesome to not only watch it in a theater, but to see it with friends who get that this movie deserved more. SUGAR HILL should have had toys, comics, and at least two sequels. So, it was bittersweet seeing this Blaxploitation gem the way it was meant to be seen. I could not stop thinking about all the films from that era that should be viewed in theaters. That will never get the restoration treatment or special Blu-ray editions. However, it also felt fantastic to watch this baddie get her revenge on the largest screen I have ever seen the movie on.
SUGAR HILL's script was written by Tim Kelly, and it was directed by Paul Maslansky. This makes it another rarity because most Blaxploitation films made by white guys upset me. However, I find SUGAR HILL cool, empowering, and a very groovy reminder to not cross Black women. If anything, Diana is the opposite of most tropes Black femme characters fall into. Do not get me wrong, she is kind of aligned with some of the characters Pam Grier is known for. Diana gets more levels and layers to play on, though. She gets to mourn her boyfriend, do some minimal detective work, and then tap into a magical form of justice. I am saddened that this fifty-year-old movie is firing on levels that too many filmmakers simply refuse to get on in 2025.
The film is also not nearly the worst depiction of voodoo I have seen on screen. That award should probably go to some of the movies that have come out this millennium. So, while SUGAR HILL is dated, she is still doing better than most, which is another reason everyone needs to check it out.
As someone who is always pleading for movies where Black women get to be angry and get even, this movie is one of my favorite things. I love seeing it in the DNA of a few films I love that came after it. I also love talking to people who have seen it and understand how we were all robbed of a SUGAR HILL universe because of biases. Please do yourself a favor and check it out while it is streaming for free this month on some of the free apps.
