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Blu-Ray : Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: November 3rd, 2020 Movie Release Year: 2020

Antebellum

Overview -

Antebellum follows a woman who is seemingly in two time periods. One is where she's a slave during the Civil War, and one is in the present-day where she is a successful author. As the film goes on, more people are out to get her where the two "time-lines" collide in a truly disappointing climax twist. The film isn't bad though, as it comes with phenomenal performances and some superb camerawork. There is a wonderful 1080p HD image and a killer Dolby Atmos track, along with some hefty worthwhile bonus features. Recommended. 

 

Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it's too late.

OVERALL:
Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p AVC/MPEG-4
Length:
105
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.39:1
Audio Formats:
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH, French, Spanish
Special Features:
Trailers
Release Date:
November 3rd, 2020

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

With the success of Jordan Peele's phenomenal film Get Out, Lionsgate Films has delivered Antebellum, a movie with similar tones and themes and some added elements that slide it in a different direction with a phenomenal cast including Janelle Monae, Jena Malone, and Jack Huston. The movie has some good ideas but with first-time directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz behind the camera and penning the screenplay, the story implodes in on itself and would rather stick a twist ending perfectly than dive into the intense subject matter in a subtle and clever way like Jordan Peele did with Get Out.

Read our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray coverage for a full review

 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Antebellum escapes its way to Blu-ray + DVD + Digital from Lionsgate with a two-disc set. The discs are housed in a hard, blue, plastic case with a cardboard sleeve feature artwork of Janelle Monae with the red bloody butterfly. There is an insert for the digital code as well. 

 

Video Review

Ranking:

Antebellum was shot and presented in 4K but was given a 1080p HD transfer in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio for this Blu-ray release. The colors on display here are fantastic, especially when outdoors in the fields. Clear, bold blue skies mix well with the green grass and vegetation on the ground and all the earthy browns in the trees and mud, along with the wooden shacks surrounding the plantation. The use of red is powerful and always brightens up the screen when it's used in the wardrobe and lipstick. Other sequences are filtered with an amber hue bring a warm palette to the screen, which transitions to a cooler blue towards the end of the film.

Black levels are deep and inky and the skin tones are natural. The detail is rather sharp too, showcasing some wonderful closeups that reveal makeup effects, individual hairs, and more. Textures in the costumes and practical sets look amazing. Certain sequences come with a ton of film grain, which was most likely added digitally for style and effect. It looks like a mistake, but it's there to enhance the grittiness and turbulent times of this story. This is a great-looking 1080p HD transfer with no video issues to speak of.

Audio Review

Ranking:

This release comes with a fantastic sounding Dolby Atmos track with wonderful atmospherics, a killer music score, and some boastful sound effects. Those sound effects are robust and loud, whether they be horse hoofs galloping, a sinister crack of a whip, or the modern noises of society taking place in the city. All of these noises are well-balanced and dynamic that transition through the speakers smoothly and with ease.

The ambient noises of the plantation life of animals in the background, people working in the field, and others talking sound excellent in the surrounds, as does the busy life of vehicles driving by in the city. The height speakers bring to life some airplanes passing overhead and some of the intense musical cues that conjure up some suspense. The low-end packs a good punch too with these musical elements and especially during the climax of the film. Dialogue is clean and easy to follow and free of any audio problems. 

Special Features

Ranking:

The bonus features add up to around 89 minutes of bonus content, including a hefty making-of documentary, deleted scenes, and more. Both the 4K and Blu-ray discs included these extras.

  • The History In Front Of Us: Deconstructing Antebellum (HD, 67 Mins.) - Set in two segments, this bonus feature first tackles the tones, themes, characters of the film and relates it to the modern-day. The second part deals with the production process, shooting on location, and more. 
  • A Hint Of Horror: The Clues Of Antebellum (HD, 6 Mins.) - Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz talk about all the easter eggs, and horror winks they hid in the film. 
  • Opening Antebellum (HD, 5 Mins.) - This is a great look at how the filmmakers shot the unedited one-take sequence at the beginning of the movie, which is quite excellent. 
  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 8 Mins.) - A collection of deleted scenes have been added here, dealing with more character development.
  • Trailers (HD, 3 Mins.) - Theatrical trailers for the film. 

Final Thoughts

Antebellum at its core is a good film with some stellar performances, along with some excellent camerawork. Its fatal flaw though is its story, specifically its twist and reveal that negates almost everything that came before it, raising a ton of logical questions about its characters and plot. There's a great story here with some truly significant and poignant themes that are lightly touched on, but the filmmakers were more concerned with that twist than exploring these themes. Still, with a fantastic Blu-ray image and remarkable Dolby Atmos track, along with some excellent extras - this one is Recommended!