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Or when I clutched my proverbial pearls upon discovering the Armitages nefarious plot in Jordan PeelesGet Out.
Directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renzs horror debut,Antebellum, falls into this exact trap.
Restricted by Confederate soldiers from speaking, she and her fellow slaves endure beatings, rapes, and brandings.
But subtle anachronisms are afoot, foreshadowing Bush and Renzs eventual plot twist.
How are the rich, racist white folks pulling this off, you may ask?
Of course, one of the Confederate cosplayers violates that rule.
Was all that antebellum horror a dream?
Their motives remain unremarkable.
Perhaps thats the point the filmmakers fail to effectively make.
Unbeknownst to Julia, Veronica has already been testing the creaks in her cabins floorboards.
But Veronica neglects to tell Julia of her scheme.
Instead, the latter endures a savage beating by a young soldier, which results in a miscarriage.
Still, Veronica tells her nothing.
Not until after Julia hangs herself does Veronica decide to enact her plot.
Because Veronica isnt protecting her own secret; shes protecting Bush and Renzs twist.
Julia is a martyr for their suspense.
But inAntebellum, were not granted a glimpse into the characters or the worlds they inhabit.
As Julia intimates, they need the rich, talented Veronica to lead them to freedom.
The films eventual conclusion serves only to reinforce such classist notions.
Its fair to ask ifAntebellums twist even qualifies as such.
The twist inAntebellumis barely a twist because it says nothing remotely introspective about our country.
Rather, the reveal says everything about Hollywood andthe kind of political contentits willing to produce.
