Released: September 2020(VOD)
Directors: Gerard Bush, Christopher Rentz
Rated R
Run Time: 104 Minutes
Genre: Horror/Drama/Mystery
Distributor: LionsGate Studios
Cast:
Janelle Monae: Veronica/Eden
Eric Lange: Him/Senator Denton
Jena Malone: Elizabeth
Jack Huston: Captain Jasper
Tongayi Chirisa: Eli/Professor Tarasai
Gabourey Sidibe: Dawn
Kiersey Clemons: Julia
First of all, I would like to apologize for not being around as of late. I had politics on the brain. 2020 has been quite the year, hasn’t it? It really has, but not in a good way. I can literally count on two hands how many movies I’ve seen in theaters this year. That’s not a lot. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the entire globe, both economically and in human lives. It certainly doesn’t help that the country was run by an administration that just didn’t care. Because of everything that’s been happening, I wasn’t able to do my Best of October 2020, because there really wasn’t a whole lot to talk about. Some of the movies that were scheduled to hit theaters this year have either been moved to next year or sent to VOD. Among those films was a little thriller called Antebellum, which was originally supposed to be released back in April, but the onset of a global pandemic kind of put plans on hold. That is the film I’m going to talk about today.
Antebellum starts in what appears to be a Civil War-era southern plantation with Confederate soldiers and African-American slaves. A small group of run-away slaves have been caught by the Confederate soldiers. One of the slaves is shot and killed and the main one, Eden is later whipped and branded by the commanding officer of the plantation. Cut to modern times as successful author Veronica wakes up in a cold sweat. After breakfast, Veronica flies to Louisiana for a book tour and a panel talking about systemic racism. To say anymore about the plot would spoil everything, but I absolutely love the way this movie unfolds. Normally, I usually don’t look at other reviews before I do my own, but I got curious as to what other people thought about the film. It’s been pretty mixed, but some of the more negative ones complain using racism as a plot device in a horror movie. What? Antebellum isn’t the first horror movie to address the issue of America’s original sin and it won’t be the last. I get it: Tackling racism in a movie is a very tricky proposition, because you either don’t delve into it enough to really address the issue, or you go so overboard that it desensitizes people to it. I don’t think Antebellum goes overboard with it. It’s depicting one of the worst atrocities that America has ever committed. Is it heavy-handed? Yeah, but when it comes to the topic of slavery and racism, you can’t handle it with kid gloves. You have to expose the horrible reality that slaves were facing on a daily basis back then, and Antebellum does a pretty good job with that. The movie also sends a very clear message about how damaging systemic racism is, even in the modern world.
Let’s talk a little bit about the acting. First off, I have to give high praise for the African-American cast who were willing to put themselves through a pretty rigorous production and story. The real stand-out of the film has to be Janelle Monae as Eden and Veronica. Janelle is incredible as she actually two very different kinds of performances in the film, and both of them are great. You don’t really see a lot of actors delivering such vastly different performances in the same film. The fact that she did it so well speaks volumes about her talent. Tongayi Chirisa plays Eli and he’s just as good as Janelle. That being said, I’ve got a bit of an issue with the villains. These guys are portrayed as mustache-twirling sadists that can do whatever they want. They’re pretty over the top, although, I will give Eric Lange credit for playing a total scumbag. Jena Malone plays Elizabeth, a total bitch in her own right, but Jena chews the scenery just enough to really make you hate her. Overall, the acting really isn’t that bad. This is Janelle’s film, through and through, however.
I have to say that the first 40 minutes of the film are definitely the most compelling as it sets the tone for the rest of the film. It’s a pretty harrowing experience, but it’s a necessary one. Unfortunately, the movie kind of slows down a bit when it hits 40 minute mark when it takes us to what appears to be the present day. I really like the transition between time periods though. It’s jarring, but on a technical level, it’s pretty simple.
So, what kind of movie IS Antebellum? Is it horror? Drama? Mystery? Yes, to all three, although I would not personally call this a traditional horror movie. As I mentioned above, we’re dealing with a depiction a very real and ugly period in American history. So, for a lot of folks this would be a horror movie. The idea of the film is actually pretty horrific, but again, I’m not going to spoil it. The marketing for this film is strange. It kind of had a bizarre time-travel aspect to it, but that really isn’t the case. And again, it’s marketed as a straight-forward horror movie, and it really isn’t. There’s been complaints about the film being extremely violent. I guess they’ve never seen Django Unchained, because Antebellum is nowhere near as violent. It’s definitely violent at times, but it’s never to the point of being an exploitation movie. Another thing I have to credit for is the cinematography. This is a gorgeous looking movie which belies the horrific elements at the center of the film. The movie was shot on location at a plantation in Louisiana so there is definitely a level of authenticity on display here. Like-wise the Civil War-era costumes and set designs are immaculate. It’s very period-specific and very well made. For a film that was made for about 15 million dollars, it looks like it was made for nearly 5 times that. That’s how good it looks.
We currently live in some troubled times. Not only do we have a pandemic, but we are also dealing with a lot of different social issues that includes systemic racism. Antebellum couldn’t have come at a better time, really. While the film isn’t perfect, with some bizarre casting and acting issues as well as some story points that kind of get jumbled up here and there, Antebellum is a film that strikes at the heart of racism and the marginalization of minorities. As we’ve just witnessed over the last couple of days, minorities have stood up against it. I don’t think Antebellum is the best film to deal with slavery and racism. It’s definitely not 12 Years A Slave. What Antebellum is a solid thriller that does pack some surprises and I think it’s definitely worth a watch.
My Final Recommendation: 8.5/10