by Shane Conto
Back in the before times when there was no COVID and quarantines, a trailer dropped for an intriguing time-twisting flick about slavery called Antebellum. This was one of the most interesting trailers I had seen for a 2020 film. The visuals were striking, the trailer had plenty of intensity, and a unique feel. Antebellum finally dropped on VOD this weekend and I was excited to see what the film was really about! I avoided all of the most recent marketing for the film so I am not sure how the film was portrayed, BUT based on that first trailer I had an idea of what to expect. Then I watched the film.
I was 100% taken aback by the film….and not in a good way.
The film opens with an impeccable long take to grab your attention. This shot is so effective in capturing life on a plantation in antebellum South that it could have worked as its own short film. You see the “prim and proper” façade that slowly fades away to reveal the horrors that lurked behind it. This scene (seemingly) sets the tone for the film that will follow as acts of brutality are graphically shown. What follows is a sustained amount of screen time set on this plantation. The story centers around Eden, a slave, who sees her fellow slaves being killed or tortured or raped. After a while, you might begin to wonder where the modern aspects of the story might be.
Then the audience is aggressively ripped from this story you begin to be attached to and thrown right into a modern setting.
This jarring transition then lasts well longer than you would expect as the audience meets Janelle Monae’s other character, Veronica, who is an author. You are treated to a night out with the girls and you begin to wonder “where is this film going?” That quote sums up this film pretty well.
The writer-director duo of Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz go for it with an ambitious story that leans heavily into a huge plot twist that pulls the rug out on the same level as The Village. Unfortunately, how the film is structured and the story plays out make the film fall apart. The “modern” scenes are so hollow and feel so sterile that they feel like a chore to sit through. They make you long for the hard hitting and affecting sequences from the plantation.
The way that the story plays out will definitely be polarizing, and I fall on the side that thinks it was ineffective.
What turns out to be true is so much less interesting and mysterious than what the trailers lead on. The structure definitely would have benefitted from a more balanced split between the two parts of the film. There are also some cheap red herrings that are dropped through the film that make little sense as the film reveals its secrets. Even the commentary on racial relations feel so surface level that the film lacks a message besides “Slavery is bad”. The characters lack complexity makes for a pretty bland experience. One important point as well is that this film is devoid of scares despite trying to be a “horror” film.
Now, the important thing to point out is that the film definitely had some serious potential.
In general, the story has an intriguing premise (despite the fact that it is not executed very well). Janelle Monae is also fantastic in the film. She sells the fear and rage that slowly boils to the top throughout the film. The supporting cast do their best with the shallow material that they are given like Jena Malone and Jack Huston. The directing combo of Bush and Renz show that they are competent visual directors. That opening shot is incredibly realized and they are able to build serious tension at multiple points throughout the film. The real shame, though, is that the film did not pull together in a meaningful way. Is Antebellum worth the stream? The film might be a curious case but not something I would necessarily recommend.
Grade: D