THE MAN WITH THE BLACK UMBRELLA (2025)

Available On Demand on Amazon Prime from Fear Footage Films!
Directed/Written by Ricky Umberger.
Check out the trailer here!

After his sister and brother-in-law are murdered, Ryan Graph (Max Johnson) sets out to figure out who murdered them when the police are unable to catch the killer. Ryan hires a Private Investigator, Jack Grove (Robert Bigley) to help him uncover the mystery. Their only clue, security cam footage of a man carrying a black umbrella entering his sister’s home the night of the murders. As the investigation unfolds, Ryan learns of a series of murders that date back for hundreds of years. The closer Ryan gets to the truth, the more likely he is destined to cross paths with this umbrella carrying monster.

Are the actors successfully acting like they aren’t acting?
Max Johnson and Robert Bigley both do a great job in their respective roles. Johnson is a bit of a pretty boy, but as this mystery deepens and the closer he gets to solving the murderer, he does a good job of screaming and shrieking like a little girl. Bigley is also good as a no-nonsense detective who gets more unsettled the more supernatural this case seems to become. Good and natural acting all around.

Does the footage found seem authentic and untouched by additional production?
The film starts out with a disclaimer that this footage was found in police archives and then goes right into the movie. For the most part, this is all taken from one handheld camera Ryan operates, though there are clips shown from security cameras during the night of the murder. It all feels authentic and untouched/unedited footage. No music is added, which only makes things more suspenseful. Dead silence is always golden when it comes to found footage.

Why don’t they just drop the camera and get the hell out of there?
The camera is used as a light source throughout the film. Ryan also vows to film everything to gather as much evidence as possible to solve his sister’s case. It’s all good enough reason to keep the camera rolling, but during the climax, I think anyone in their right mind would have dropped the camera and beat feet. But then we wouldn’t have the end of the movie, would we?

Are there any found footage cliches like an up-nose BLAIR WITCH confessional or a REC-drag away from the camera?
Nope. Not many of those cliches here. Sure, the use of nursery rhymes to creep people out is a little dated as this one uses the “Rain, rain, go away” song. But they make it all work. There are plenty of jump scares that really got me over and over again. I don’t know why, but this movie had me completely on edge.

Does anything actually happen? Is the lead in too long and the payoff too short?
THE MAN WITH THE BLACK UMBRELLA presents a compelling mystery and maintains that tension from beginning to end. It’s a fun mystery that doesn’t exactly answer all the questions, but it never gets boring. There are enough scenes of running around in the dark to make it all go by quickly and suspensefully.

Does the film add anything to the subgenre and is it worth watching?
I really loved this simplistic little horror thriller. THE MAN WITH THE BLACK UMBRELLA is cloaked in mystery, but it gives just enough clues to keep my interest piqued. The scares are potent and a plenty and the man himself is quite terrifying. I think the way he walks around brandishing a knife at his side is a little hokey, but the way he appears here and there and out of the shadows chilled me every time. This is fantastic little supernatural stalk-and-slash. It’s low budget; simply a guy running around in the dark and trying to get away from a knife-wielding monster. But it does it all very, very well. It’s not anything new, but man, did I jump back in my seat a whole bunch of times. Any film that gets me that way is worthy of my recommendation.