Review: ‘The Man with the Black Umbrella’ is a found footage treasure

The writer/director behind The Fear Footage trilogy returns in fine form with his latest found footage film. The Man with the Black Umbrella sees filmmaker Ricky Umberger doing what he does best: scare the hell out of you. While the film is a bit slow going initially, it supplies the goods when it matters most. Umberger builds suffocating tension through anticipation of the unknown and keeps the mysterious man with the black umbrella mostly in shadow, always lurking around the next corner. What transpires over 90 minutes will fuel the worst nightmares.

The story follows Ryan Graph (Max Johnson) when he hires a private investigator Jack Grove (Robert Bigley) to probe the brutal murder of his sister. Video footage taken from the scene depicts a strange man (James Herbert) carrying a black umbrella. As they team up together, their investigation leads them on a disturbing path of previous murders that are more than just meets the eye. Jack begins by tracking the purchase of a black umbrella and scoping out the local cemetery, starting points that get them their first breaks in the case. But the peculiar, diabolical figure is much smarter than that; he’s always one step ahead. Descending further into a series of clues, Jack and Ryan learn that the man’s crimes are impossible to solve without causing more destruction.

Umberger masterfully unravels his story with a calculated pace, setting up Ryan and Jack’s working relationship. He keeps the cards incredibly close to the vest and lets things come undone when absolutely necessary. Terrifying glimpses of the man with the black umbrella linger in the brain like gum on the bottom of your sneakers. You can feel his Fear Footage style effectively seeping into this story to make sure you don’t sleep at night. With Herbert delivering an eerie, ghost-like performance, the film gives birth to a new should-be horror icon.

If you’re already a fan of Umberger’s Fear Footage films, you know to expect the unexpected. The Man with the Black Umbrella lives up to the creepiness of its viral campaign. Ricky Umberger knows how to build buzz around his work and produces a frightening tale worthy of going viral itself. Fitting somewhere in the realm of Butterfly Kisses and Mockingbird, the found footage entry has all the makings of a cult classic and should please any genre fan.

The Man with the Black Umbrella arrives on Prime this Friday (September 26).