Antebellum Ending Explained, Antebellum Plot Twist
by Maivizhi A
Updated Mar 11, 2023
Antebellum Ending Explained
Once the twist is revealed, the conclusion of Antebellum becomes self-explanatory. After witnessing a fellow captive's suicide, Veronica decides to flee the plantation. When she overhears the supposed "owner" speaking on his mobile phone, she devises a plan to steal it. With the help of another kidnapped man, they manage to retrieve the phone despite encountering two guards. However, they can't locate their position as Veronica can't unlock the phone's facial recognition feature, which requires the owner's face. Veronica and her accomplice subdue the owner, and she contacts her husband with her location. Unfortunately, her accomplice dies in the process. Veronica enacts her revenge by burning the owner's body and killing two more guards. She rides off on a horse, pursued by Elizabeth, who reveals that the "owner" was her father and that he chose Veronica as his victim because she publicly criticized a racist politician. Veronica kills Elizabeth and escapes through a Civil War reenactment park. In the end, the FBI arrives at the plantation, and the movie concludes.
Antebellum Plot Twist
The movie unfolds entirely in the present, with Veronica, portrayed by Monáe, not being sent back in time or reminiscing about her ancestors' sufferings. Rather, she was abducted and held captive at a Civil War reenactment site, where a group of unhinged and racist white individuals acted out their twisted fantasies of owning slaves. This disturbing reality becomes apparent when Eric Lange's character, who plays the role of a plantation owner, secretly answers a call on his mobile phone concealed in a leather pouch attached to his horse.
Antebellum Plot Summary
“Antebellum” aims for a complex and mind-blowing narrative akin to an M. Night Shyamalan film, but instead leaves the viewer feeling bewildered and unsatisfied. The movie employs a big twist that initially shocks but ultimately falls short, leading to a series of predictable third-act reveals. While the film tries to address relevant themes of racial oppression and social unrest, its execution is flawed, with a muddled message and an unsettling reliance on violent slavery tropes.
The movie is visually stunning, featuring impressive cinematography and vivid costumes, but its exploitative portrayal of slavery and gratuitous use of slow-motion shots to highlight graphic violence leave a sour taste in the mouth. The talented cast, including Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange, Jack Huston, and Jena Malone, give committed performances, but their efforts are hampered by the uneven script and questionable direction.
Although “Antebellum” attempts to say something significant about the enduring legacy of racism and oppression in our society, its execution falls short, leaving the viewer with a sense of disappointment and discomfort. The film’s title card quotes William Faulkner's assertion that the past is never dead, but the film fails to delve deeper into the complexities of that idea, ultimately offering little more than a superficial exploration of a deeply troubling topic.
Antebellum
In 2020, Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz made their feature directorial debuts with Antebellum, an American thriller movie. The film stars Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, and Gabourey Sidibe, and tells the story of a contemporary African-American woman who awakens on a Southern slave plantation and must find a way to escape. Antebellum was released in the United States via premium video on demand on September 18, 2020, and was also screened in theaters in several other countries. However, despite some positive reviews, the film received mixed feedback from critics, with some expressing disappointment that it did not live up to its potential due to flaws in the screenplay.
Antebellum Ending Explained - FAQs
At the end of the movie, it is revealed that the events of the film are actually taking place in the present day, rather than in the pre-Civil War era as the audience had been led to believe. The plantation and its inhabitants are part of a modern-day organization that kidnaps and enslaves Black people for their own twisted purposes.
The organization behind the plantation is never explicitly named, but it is heavily implied to be a group of wealthy, white supremacists who are carrying out a twisted experiment in order to prove their superiority over Black people.
The butterfly in the movie is a symbol of transformation and rebirth. In the film, it appears repeatedly as a metaphor for the protagonist's journey from being a victim of slavery to becoming a warrior for justice.
Sarah is a character who is introduced early in the movie as a fellow slave on the plantation. It is later revealed that she is actually a modern-day activist who was kidnapped and brought to the plantation, just like the protagonist.
Veronica sacrifices herself at the end of the movie in order to help Sarah and the other captives escape from the plantation. She chooses to stay behind and distract the white supremacists so that her friends can get to safety.