During the excruciatingly cruel first act, Janelle Monáe is trapped as an enslaved woman on a Southern plantation. Suddenly, she’s back in the present, where she’s a noted author writing about racism. This strange parallel world develops into a somewhat interesting thriller. It takes time before it becomes genuinely tense, but Monet makes it worth watching and Gabourey Sibide also adds some fun support. Throughout, the cinematography is beautiful, which makes even the most horrible scenes more palatable. First-time writing/directing duo Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz are obviously fans of Get Out with their variation on racial horror. Even though they didn’t succeed like Jordan Peele, their dark vision is still compelling.
[rating stars=”3.5″]