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| The Grim & The Dark |
Building and painting miniatures for wargames like Warhammer 40,000 or Mordheim is a relatively niche hobby. All of us involved have likely been asked about our hobbies, and when explaining how we “assemble and paint miniatures for wargames,” are accustomed to responses like “oh, like Risk” or, more apt but still a little off the mark, “oh, like Dungeons & Dragons.” Depending on how much effort we want to put into it, we can say “yeah, similar to that,” or delve into what the hobby actually entails. When my friend Cody (@magos_buer, now of Buer Games) announced that he was producing a documentary about miniature wargaming, specifically the grimdark/Inq28 scene, I was excited. Perhaps this would be the ideal film to show some of my family to demonstrate the allure of this hobby? Furthermore, a film delving into the “grimdark” aesthetic was even more appealing, as that is one of the specific aspects that drew my brothers and me to Warhammer 40,000 in the first place. While the term “grimdark” is inextricably tied to Warhammer 40,000, with its tag line of “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war,” the term has expanded into other media outside of the miniature gaming world, including music, literature, and art. From the moment I first heard about Cody’s intent to make a film to its official release, the film evolved considerably, becoming what is officially titled The Grim & The Dark: The Search for John Blanche. Somewhat surprisingly, Jon Heder, of the Napoleon Dynamite fame, was pulled in to be the main face of the documentary. Cody had expressed his desire to interview many people involved in the Inq28 scene and asked whether we would be willing to be interviewed. Things came together rather quickly, and Cody, Jon, and the rest of the crew joined us on the first day of our Vastarian narrative gaming event in November 2024, where Heder interviewed the three of us and some others at the event. The interviews were not planned and were very much off the cuff. Afterwards, we didn't hear much about the documentary or how the footage from the Vastarian event would be used until it was released in late September 2025. My brothers and I were kindly given the opportunity to watch The Grim & The Dark shortly before its release. After having some time to reflect, I wanted to share some of the thoughts the three of us had about it.
The film's narrative centers around Heder trying to find a good gift for his son, something related to tabletop gaming. Being a little out of his element, he calls his friend Eric (also from Buer Games) for advice. They end up visiting Asgard Games in Houston, Texas, to look at games and arrive during our Vastarian narrative gaming event. The film does not explicitly say it is our narrative gaming event. Instead, Heder sees one of Isaac’s (@weirdingsway) amazing Navigator Guild miniatures and thinks it looks cool, and asks Eric about it. Eric states that the model is pretty “grimdark,” a term Heder is not familiar with. Exploring and understanding what it means to be “grimdark” becomes the heart of the documentary (to the point that he largely forgets he was looking for a gift for his son). Heder talks to some people at the Vastarian event, including the three of us, before traveling to Finland and eventually England to interview people involved in the miniature hobby and other “grimdark” pursuits. He finally realizes that to understand grimdark fully, he needs to talk to the master of grimdark, John Blanche. And, excitingly, he does eventually get to meet John and talk with him at length.
I found it exciting to see a bunch of my friends and hobbyist idols talk throughout the documentary. Sadly, of those being interviewed, few are spoken to at length, and there is little explanation of why a particular person was interviewed. Despite the documentary being about miniature gaming, you see very few miniatures throughout the film. It would have been nice to see more of the miniatures and artwork that some of the interviewees have produced to help demonstrate why they were chosen. This point also helps display how the film struggles to decide its target audience. While some efforts are made to introduce miniature gaming, someone unfamiliar with the hobby might be confused. It does not explicitly describe Warhammer 40,000 and Games Workshop’s place in the hobby, or explain how the Inq28 scene is a very niche aspect of an already niche hobby. The narrative focus of our Vastarian event or Buer Games’ 1490 Doom, which is featured somewhat prominently in the film, is a far cry from what most Warhammer 40,000 players experience. A seasoned Warhammer 40,000 player might not be familiar with most of the people who are interviewed in the documentary. If a viewer wanted to get involved in some of the exciting narrative gaming experiences depicted in the film, there is no clear path presented for doing so. As such, I think the documentary is best viewed by people who are already deeply invested in the weirder aspects of the miniature gaming hobby, people who are using Warhammer 40,000 and other games as a springboard to explore their own ideas and create something unique. Because of all this, the film is more of a love letter to the Inq28 (or “28”) community. And for people already deeply involved in that community, I could see them disappointed that the film does not delve deeper into each guest's work. A few minutes with incredible artists like Ana Polanšćak (@gardensofhecate) and Johan Egerkrans (@the_convertorum) do not feel like nearly enough!
Far and above the best aspect of the film is when Heder meets John Blanche. This aspect of the film was clearly the most pre-planned and features the strongest videography, and it makes the documentary worthwhile by itself. We are fortunate to have such quality footage of Blanche musing about his work and legacy. For someone who has had such a significant impact on the miniature gaming hobby and the grimdark aesthetic, there are not many widely available interviews (written or video) with him. Importantly, the interview really captures John as a person, conveying his kindness, generosity, and wit, all qualities anyone who has spent time with him can attest to.
While I have spent much of this review being critical of The Grim & The Dark, I really enjoyed watching the film. It is clear that those who made it are passionate about miniature gaming, John Blanche, and the scene he helped create. Creating an hour-and-a-half-long documentary that tries to summarize such a complex subject, spanning from miniature wargaming to literature, was always going to be a difficult task. I applaud the filmmakers’ efforts to expose a niche hobby to a broader audience. I know the sections featuring John Blanche will be cherished for years to come as a proper tribute to such a legendary figure in the space. If you have not watched the documentary yet, I urge you to consider it; I am sure you will find something worthwhile in it.
Purchase the documentary here.
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