The wave of horror laced with social content has been a respite after the umpteenth zombie movie or Paranormal Activity knockoff. Antebellum doesn’t quite reaches the heights of Get Out, but it’s a sturdy feature that makes great use of the ‘confederation nostalgia’ sweeping America’s redest corners.
The charismatic Janelle Monáe is Eden, a slave in a confederate garrison. We meet her as a breakout attempt has gone horribly wrong and she’s held as responsible. But even after the botched escape, others in the plantation see her as a leader, a position she’s reluctant to accept.
Those who saw the (perhaps too revealing) trailer know Monáe also plays a successful academic in modern times. The heart of the movie lies on how are these two characters linked, a plot twist I won’t reveal here.
Antebellum brings together these two pivotal eras to underline how little certain elements of American society have evolved. It does it first broadly, showing the excruciating cruelty of the slavery, and then bringing attention the casual racism, insidious enough to be noticed, but low-key so it’s often tolerated. The film also highlights how intelligence can be particularly irritating for bigots who think of themselves as superior (see Trump’s obsession with Obama).
The main reveal is certain to launch a thousand think pieces, but all you need to know is that it works. When you think about it, it’s horrifying because it’s not far-fetched.
Social undertones aside, Antebellum is a serviceable piece of entertainment. The movie is lusciously shot and allows a modicum of comedy when appropriate. Every so often, the writer/director duo of Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz feel the need to spell out the themes of the film (“discrimination is written in the DNA of this country”, “unresolved past can wreak havoc in the present”), but overall it’s worth your time. 3/5 planets.
Antebellum is now available on demand.
