BLACK CINEMA
Amazon Prime’s “Swarm” as Black Horror for Lovers of Camp
Gore for the gworls
For over a decade, I have been a fan of Childish Gambino, or the artist sometimes known as Donald Glover. From the stand-up comedy and writing era to the albums and television series, tracing Glover’s career has been a wild ride as his fans discover new talents at every turn. Yet, even as many of Glover’s forays feel new to the audience when you look back, there are always easter eggs in his performances that almost foreshadow his later work.
This is why I was not surprised to see his name attached to Amazon Prime’s latest horror series, “Swarm,” a commentary on obsession, fandom, and popular culture. Because while many people have pointed to the way that Glover’s FX series “Atlanta” plays with the horror genre, watching “Swarm” immediately transported me back to the 2011 release of the Childish Gambino album titled “Camp.” More specifically, the popular single “Bonfire,” a song that was released with a music video that seemed quite cryptic but also reflected a larger theme.
