'Antebellum': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about the horror film starring Janelle Monáe
2020 has already seen some good horror come its way. But with a little less than half a year left, one of the more anticipated horror films is soon to come. Presenting: ‘Antebellum’.
Release date
The horror film was first scheduled to release on April 24 but the coronavirus pandemic led to it being moved to August 21, before it was left “undated” by Lionsgate. ‘Antebellum’ is now scheduled for digital release in America on September 18. A theatrical release is still planned for international audiences.
Plot
In ‘Antebellum’, a successful author called Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality that forces her to confront the past, present and future -- before it’s too late. The film, just like Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’, is said to have racial undertones, aside from being a horror feature. The title itself is an indication of that.
Cast
Janelle Monáe as Veronica Henley
The 34-year-old American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and producer began her musical career in 2003, releasing a demo album titled ‘The Audition’. Monáe has since received eight Grammy Award nominations, won an MTV Video Music Award, and the ASCAP Vanguard Award. She was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award and the Trailblazer of the Year Award.
In terms of acting, Monáe has appeared in ‘Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams’, ‘Harriet’, ‘Ugly Dolls’, ‘Moonlight’, and more.
Marque Richardson as Nick DeWall
The 34-year-old American actor is best known for playing the role of Reggie Green in Justin Simien’s critically acclaimed 2014 film ‘Dear White People’. He later reprised the role in the Netflix series of the same name based on the film. His other notable roles include ‘Detention’, Seasons 5 and 6 of ‘True Blood’, and ‘The Newsroom’.
‘Antebellum’ also stars Eric Lange, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Tongayi Chirisa, Gabourey Sidibe, Rob Aramayo, Lily Cowles, and Jena Malone. It is produced by Raymond Mansfield, Sean McKittrick, Zev Foreman, Bush and Renz, and Lezlie Willis.
Trailer
The ‘Antebellum’ trailer dropped on Thursday, August 6, and it paints a surreal picture. While the synopsis hints at “the past, present and future”, it doesn’t prepare you for a time-bending feature. The film trailer skips between the present and a pre-abolition American past as we see Monáe’s Veronica Henley go from successful author to a slave in a cotton farm.
The film definitely has supernatural elements to it, and as the trailer promises, heavy racial undertones. But it also has creepy children in long empty hallways, reminiscent of ‘The Shining’. Needless to say, ‘Antebellum’ promises to be one of the better films (not just horror films) of 2020.
If you like ‘Antebellum’ you will also like
‘Get Out’, ‘Us’, ‘Doctor Sleep’, ‘Candyman’, and ‘Predestination’.