Antebellum (2020) - Thoughts?

Here is the latest from the producer behind Get Out and Us.



https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10065694/

Looks like a time travel flick based on the poster. It's fantastic. Definitely some butterfly effect vibes going on.

Not much info yet. Just that the lead ends up in a distorted reality.

Seems really interesting. Love a good time travel movie. Can't wait.

Looks pretty interesting. I noticed Jordan Peele isn't directing or writing this one, but honestly, the whole vibe still feels exactly like his style. I'm definitely keeping an eye on this.

I can already tell we’re going to be arguing endlessly over whether that "intelligent" plot twist actually works 🙂 .

The Film hits VOD on August 18th.

https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/...ping-theaters/

March 9th. It’s hitting theaters!!!

Anyone caught this yet?

The Film came out right when the Black Lives Matter movement was peaking, so the timing was spot on. It definitely has that activist, eye-opening vibe, but even just as a story, it was intense and kept me hooked. The time flew by while I was at the theater.

I’m not going to spoil the twist for you—you’ve gotta see it for yourself. Honestly, the less you know going in, the more it hits. 🙂

Watched it last night. Total sleeper hit. Honestly, I expected this kind of quality from the producer behind Get Out—which, if you ask me, is the best horror flick we've seen in the last ten years.

The plot, the acting, the score, the sets, the vibe... everything just hits. It’s the whole package and a damn good Film. Highly recommend.

William Faulkner for Dummies 🙄

The Film kicks off with a quote from William Faulkner: "The past is never dead, it's not even past." And honestly, that’s the whole deal—the plot is non-linear, which is where they try to hide their little twist.
It’s absolutely stuffed with those tired liberal clichés designed to kiss up to both white and Black elites—the peak cringe moment is definitely that pretentious feminist scene in the restaurant. Sure, the feminism might be Black, but it’s purely liberal ideology; apparently, we’re all supposed to march in solidarity just because she didn't get a prime table at some upscale bistro or had to wait two seconds at the front desk of a fancy hotel. Where are the wealthy gays in this progressive narrative? Oh right, the directors. The whole thing feels like someone sat down with a PhD and tried to turn social justice into an Excel spreadsheet. 🙄

hollowowl15 said:Faulkner for Dummies 🙄

The movie kicks off with a William Faulkner quote: "The past is never dead, it's not even past." And honestly—that’s exactly how the plot works—it's all non-linear, which is basically what makes the whole twist work.
It is just absolutely stuffed with liberal clichés designed to suck up to the white and Black elites—seriously, the biggest cringe moment is that fancy feminist scene in the restaurant. Like, sure, the feminism might be Black-led, but ideologically it’s just straight-up liberal; we’re all supposed to march right alongside her just because she didn't get a prime table at some high-end bistro, or because the poor girl had to wait two seconds at the front desk of a swanky hotel. Where are the rich gays in this liberal narrative? Well, they’re the directors, I guess—the whole movie feels like it was cooked up in an Excel spreadsheet by someone with a PhD in gender and race studies 🙄

Are you maybe white? 😁

It’s actually pretty clever how the synopsis hides the twist—it's a total red herring—and structurally, the way the twist is executed is the only way it could have actually functioned as a surprise.

Most people trashed this one, and most reviews look just like the one above, but if you keep a slightly more open mind and actually try to understand it, it's a pretty solid film.

As for that restaurant thing—she got a tiny table for three people, plus the other Black woman is heavy-set, and honestly, I’d be complaining too, whether I were rich or broke
At the front desk, you can totally see the receptionist rolling her eyes—kind of like how you'd roll your eyes if some guy from a rough neighborhood stood there thinking he was entitled to special treatment, even when he might actually be

The exit was alright, I guess. This could work too, but honestly, I’ll just wait until I can watch it from my own couch back home...

Grace Sanchez50 said:Are you white or something? 😁

You think Black people don't criticize movies or the clichés they're stuffed with?

It's interesting how the synopsis actually masks the twist—it's a total red herring. Structurally, the twist is the only way the movie works, and it’s the only way it could have been a surprise.

That's true, but the twist itself is just some banal blaxploitation trope 🤷

The movie got trashed quite a bit, mostly because of reviews like the one above, but if you had a slightly more open mind and understood the context, it's actually a pretty solid film.

The soundtrack is solid, though. 😁

Regarding the restaurant, she was given a small table when there were three of them. Plus, the other Black woman is overweight, and I'd be complaining too, whether I were rich or poor.

But this wasn't just any restaurant, and they aren't middle class (the main girl's apartment gets more screen time than some actual characters 😁), and that scene where she accepts his drink even though it isn't something classy like champagne 🤦—all of that is just meant to define them through their consumer habits, nothing more. Like some kind of Karen caricature.

At the reception, you see the receptionist rolling her eyes, much like how you might roll your eyes if some guy from a marginalized group stood at your desk thinking he's entitled when he might actually be.

Imagine a movie about Romani people that's supposed to tackle oppression and systemic discrimination, only for the characterization to boil down to the fact that they didn't get the table they wanted in some ultra-expensive restaurant. Yeah, sure, Romani people will totally relate to that story. Great.
It would be way more interesting to make a movie about Assata Shakur, whom they quote in the film, rather than these pathetic "attempts at dialogue."

Give me a movie recommendation that isn't full of clichés—honestly, so many movies have been made since the dawn of cinema that there aren't any tropes left. This specific genre just comes with certain clichés built right in.

Define "banal blaxploitation" versus the non-banal stuff for me... If you were expecting something totally different from what this movie actually is, well, that’s on you.

It’s solid and it’s shot well. Like, really great.

What does social class even have to do with it? You're being a bit judgmental here. And I have no idea what you mean by Black Karen, so maybe explain that?

Man, you took my comparison way too literally. The biggest flaw with the movie is definitely the lack of subtlety, but the things you're nitpicking feel like trivial nonsense because it seems like you just hated the movie before you even saw it. Total closed mind.

As for the twist, it actually works within the logic of the film—all those clichés serve a purpose. Plus, the lead actress is incredible. If you think she lacks characterization, that’s probably just because you're hyper-focusing on one ten-minute dinner scene. That's your issue, not hers.

(I've been on this forum for almost 10 years and I still don't know how to quote someone, dammit)

I bet directors thought exactly like you—it doesn't even matter if the characters are total cardboard cutouts. They just figure everything’s been done before, so why bother? Let's just keep recycling the same old crap, since we're basically just music video directors anyway—just wrap it up in some fancy photography and a decent soundtrack.
Fine, but I don't see what kind of conversation that actually sparks: Jim Crow in high-end restaurants? 🤷
What was it that triggered this for you?

The guy who put this together should probably check himself into a psychiatric ward immediately; it's pretty obvious he needs the help.

This movie is like some hack columnist trying to cash in on whatever's trending right now... but it’s honestly so dull you just stop reading halfway through. And whoever thought adding horror was a good idea? God bless them... they clearly missed the mark.

It’s definitely not a horror movie, but the flick is good. Like, actually pretty good.
Look, it isn't some cinematic masterpiece or whatever, but calling it a bad movie is just reaching.

Dennis Ramirez53 said:This movie is basically just a hack columnist—trying to cash in on whatever’s trending right now, but it’s so incredibly dull you end up dropping it halfway through. And honestly, whoever thought adding horror elements was a good idea? They should be banned from filmmaking.

Yeah.

Easily one of the dumbest things I've sat through lately.

Why is it that we only catch glimpses of that delivery guy from a distance when he's dropping off drinks, but as soon as he gets close to the table, the camera seems to look right past him? It makes me wonder if he’s actually working out at the ranch or something. I just can't wrap my head around it.

Dennis Ramirez53 said:This movie is basically a hack columnist—trying way too hard to cash in on whatever is trending right now, but it’s so incredibly dull you end up ditching it halfway through. And honestly, whoever decided to tack on that horror element? They should be banned from ever picking up a camera again.

There is absolutely no way this works since the movie was actually shot back in 2019 🙂

That would imply they somehow have a crystal ball to predict the future 🙂

electriccanyon26 said:Why is it that we only catch a glimpse of that guy delivering the drinks from a mile away on the news, but the second he walks up to the table, the camera suddenly loses interest? Is he maybe lurking around the ranch or something? I can't tell.

Yeah, exactly. From what I gather, he's basically the guy running the whole operation at the ranch.