Antebellum

Director(s) - Gerard Bush (Versus, Kill Jay-Z) and Christopher Renz (Against the Wall, Shame)

Starring - Janelle Monae (Lady and the Tramp, Uglydolls), Tongayi Chirisa (American Horror Story, iZombie), and Jack Huston (Fargo, Shrooms)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Horror/Drama

Format - 4K Ultra HD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror fans didn't have much to look forward to this year with Covid-19 completely changing out day to day lives.  Theaters were among the first to close once the pandemic started and soon after was movie sets, cons, and so forth.  Some indie films began production with small crews of close friends and family as to risk spreading corona but for the most part movies are at a standstill.  Sometime earlier in the year Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz had planned on releasing their dramatic horror film Antebellum was forced to hold off when the world was forced to be put on hold.  When Halloween was approaching the film found a release on VOD with a physical release soon after.  I reached out and was able to snag a copy of the film on 4K for review.  

     The film follows a young slave, Eden (Monae), who is reluctantly thrust in the middle of the civil war.  She finds herself on a plantation that is known for being unbearably heinous to their slaves with many of the other slaves looking up to her to find a way for them to escape.  However, there is more going on here than it looks.  Every time Eden goes to sleep she awakens in modern day as Veronica who is the face of an equal rights movement.  Veronica is then forced to fight for her life while uncovering the truth as to what is happening around her.

     I went into Antebellum pretty blind.  I had not really heard anything about this one but seeing that it was produced by Jordan Peele had me excited to check it out.  The movie itself is very clumsy with a story that could have been something very unforgettable.  However, it treats the viewer like an idiot and holds their hand all the way through it.  It really has the potential but stumbles every step of the way.  The acting in this one is great.  The characters are very enjoyable and some of the scenes are very demanding.  The cast absolutely nails their roles and some are tasked with taking on duel roles due to the way the story is written.  The movie may be lacking but the acting is not.  The film is well cast and the actors do an amazing job.  The story for this one is great but the movie is not.  Race, even after all these years, is still a hot topic among Americans.  People of color are persecuted every day while many conservatives cry that racism is no longer an issue in America.  This film takes those very real fears that so many Americans face and turns it into a very active horror thriller.  With that being said, the movie holds your hands with the story and never fully takes advantage of the horror and thrills a story like this could deliver.  Finally, this one does have some bloody moments but the kills are fairly quick.  They work for the film with some great practical effects but nothing we haven't seen before. Overall, Antebellum is a gorgeous period piece that has a story that could have been something that would have been truly unforgettable.  However, it fails at pulling together something memorable.  It is a very ambitious film that suffers from so many shortcomings.  This is not one I can recommend.