Antebellum (2020)

Slaves at a Confederate quarter during the American Civil War experience a horrendous reality, but nothing is what it looks like.

This is one of the most meticulous and intriguing opening shots I’ve seen in a while. Music, photography, and powerful acting set the tone for what is about to come. Unfortunately, though, as we go through despicable times, for more than one reason, it is hard to focus purely on the artistic part and neglect the atrocious side of the human soul.

Leaving momentarily the politics and the comparisons with today’s depressing reality aside, I’ll go on with a disclaimer: I had no idea what I was signing up for. So, I started scratching my beard almost 40′ into the film… I really wanted to see where the story was heading. And this is when my excitement disappeared. The story dragged on and became so political that the characters lost interest. Janelle Monàe’s character became snobbish, and everyone else was indifferent. Nothing like the acting or story development of the first forty minutes. Politics were so forced into the film that it became unwatchable. Whatever was not political, it was pure boredom. I’m particularly fond of both Jena Malone and Gabourey Sidibe, and here their characters were, again, as snobbish and indifferent as Monàe’s – or worse. I cannot relate to such characters because I could never and have never hung around with such self-righteous and pompous people who like themselves that much and think of themselves so highly like they are Derek Zoolander. I am sure the people who value their ticket money feel the same way.

Half an hour after that, and having watched a particular film in 2004 (no spoilers), I kind of saw where the story was heading. However, directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz made it too obvious; the only difference is that they over-politicised it. And that’s how the second part of the second act was doomed to fail. It didn’t make any sense whatsoever and undermined the audience’s intelligence. And the filmmakers should always keep in mind that horror fans are extremely savvy. I can see how appealing it is to make 12 Years a Slave (2013) meets Get Out (2017), but Steve McQueen and Jordan Peele have their own distinctive and unique style that it would be best to be left to them and not copied. Speaking of copying, did I mention the irrelevant reference to The Shining (1980) and the inexplicably identical poster with The Silence of the Lambs (1991)?

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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

Stay safe!