Movie Breakdown: Antebellum

Pre-Screening Stance:

Janelle Monae is an alluring presence on the silver screen, and Antebellum looks like it could be a legit mindtrip. Let’s dial it up.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Well, the good news is that Antebellum has something to say. The bad news is that it isn’t exactly sure about what it’s trying to say or how to say it. I believe the goal of writer/director duo Gerard Bush & Christopher Renz was to deliver something similar to Jordan Peele’s Get Out – a riveting slice of psychological horror that packs a powerful message – but their half baked affair is just too heavy handed and too broad.

Largely, I think it’s the pair’s inexperience that really works against them here. Antebellum is their feature debut, and it 100% feels like it from start to finish. The overall story is OK, what with its solid Twilight Zone vibe, but so much of the plot is telegraphed that it offers no real surprises or revelations. It’s also paced very poorly, so there are quite a few stretches where you end up wanting something, anything to happen that might pull you back into the film. Furthermore, the unevenness here stretches to the performance side of things as well. Janelle Monae is fine as Eden, but she’s accompanied by goofy, over the top work by Jenna Malone, Jack Huston and others.

I’ll give Antebellum credit for swinging for the fences, but it’s just not anywhere close to being a home run. You should most definitely save your money and wait for this to end up at the bottom of some streaming service’s library.

One Last Thought:

Gabourey Sidibeis is given nothing to do in this movie but run her mouth and – as it turns out – she is fantastic at doing just that. I loved it. In fact, her no-filters character was the only part of the movie that I actually enjoyed. She should star in a comedies.