‘Antebellum’ Addresses the Horrors of Slavery, Racism

Premiering on video on demand streaming this past weekend, “Antebellum” is a complex social thriller starring Janelle Monáe in her first leading film role. Monáe plays Veronica Henley, an author and respected academic with a lovely home and family. She describes her book as a “road map to revolution for historically marginalized people,” on cable TV programs and large conferences. But all the positive work she does to uplift her community draws attention from people who wish to silence her.

Monáe also plays Eden, an enslaved woman on a brutal southern plantation owned by a Confederate general and run by a sadistic overseer and his wife. Eden’s previous attempts to escape not only failed, but resulted in great pain. However, she continues to stay motivated to keep trying.

Any further plot details would spoil the film’s dramatic twist, which many critics are calling “a twist you won’t see coming.” The film was written and directed by first-time feature filmmakers Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz. It also stars Jena Malone, Gabourey Sidibe, Kiersey Clemons, Eric Lange, Lily Cowles and Marque Richardson.

The Lionsgate film was originally slated for release in theaters back in April, but COVID-19 pushed its date back until now. However, many are saying the delay made the film even more timely and meaningful as the Black Lives Matter movement saw a powerful renewal these past months. Parade wrote: “’Antebellum’ is about a horrific world ‘before the war’ that never quite ended when the smoke of the battlefield cleared, and about how the past has a way of marching right into the present. This double-edge slave story will twist you around, turn you backward and open your eyes to the scars of racism that are still painfully, awfully real, wrenchingly raw—and very much with us still, today.

“Antebellum” is available to rent on-demand now and available for public performance showings from Swank soon.