‘Karen’ trailer shows Taryn Manning as a terrifying racist neighbor

Karen is getting her own movie.

A trailer dropped over the weekend for the upcoming horror film, “Karen,” starring Taryn Manning, 42.

Manning, known for her breakout role in “Orange Is the New Black,” will be playing the titular role in the BET film production. Cory Hardrict (“American Sniper”) and Jasmine Burke (“Saints & Sinners”) will star alongside Manning, with Coke Daniels (“His, Hers & the Truth”) directing.

Centering around a racist white woman named Karen White, the film’s title comes from the now-infamous nickname that identifies white women for their intolerant, manager-calling and racist behaviors. The trailer teases how White’s motives align with her name’s notorious reputation when a young black couple, portrayed by Hardrict and Burke, eagerly arrive in their new neighborhood.

That’s when Karen really lives up to her name.

Taryn Manning starring in the upcoming film, "Karen."
Taryn Manning starring in the upcoming film “Karen.”

While in a restaurant, Manning’s character proceeds to pull a typical “Karen” move and demands a black patron obey her wishes, or she will — in typical “Karen” fashion — call the manager.

The rest of the trailer depicts how Karen progressively gets worse with her microaggressions against her new neighbors and the horror that comes with each escalating event.

Taryn Manning starring in the upcoming film, "Karen."
Taryn Manning plays a racist white woman named Karen White in the upcoming film “Karen.”
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Karen’s entitlement is portrayed through the fictional lens, but it’s clear the events are derived from real-life events as the trailer shows Karen calling the cops on a group of young black men.

Taryn Manning expressed she felt she had a “social responsibility” and duty to play this villain.

“Even though I’m playing the opposing side, if I have to sort of play the villain and do all that to help make change, I was more than willing to step into the role. If you don’t like me in the role, perfect, I did my job just great. But the main point is that what’s been going on is just devastating, and it’s time for a change. And for me to be a part of that bigger picture meant a lot to me,” Manning explained during a TMZ interview. 

Taryn Manning expressed she felt she had a "social responsibility" and duty to play this villain.
Taryn Manning expressed she felt she had a “social responsibility” and duty to play this villain.

The trailer first dropped on Friday but became a trending topic on Twitter by Monday. Not only is “Karen” trending, but so is “Get Out” and its creator Jordan Peele as fans attribute the director’s critically-acclaimed 2017 film as a source of creative inspiration for “Karen.”

Although viewers are mocking the new film for its absurdity, some Twitter users are debating whether this is a satirical film or a horror film with efforts to genuinely comment on the social justice movement and the rise of “Karens.”

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