Today, we’ll be explaining a movie called Antebellum. The film begins in Louisiana on a reformist slave plantation, under the command of the ninth infantry company of the Confederate Army. Three dark-skinned slaves attempt to escape, but Captain Jasper’s soldiers catch them. One of the girls is unconscious, and the Confederates mock the couple. Captain Jasper arranges a show punishment and kills the wife of a black man named Eli right in front of him. The woman’s body is then dragged to the crematorium to be burned.
Later, the general visits the girl who tried to escape and severely punishes her, forcing her to reveal her name. Eli’s accomplice remains silent, and the plantation owner forces her to respond to the name Eden, to which she obeys him. The next morning, the dark-skinned slaves obediently pick cotton on the plantation, doing all tasks as commanded by Captain Jasper. A group of new slaves is brought to the plantation, and Captain Jasper explains the rules of their stay, warning them not to speak to each other and that disobedience will be severely punished.
The Planter’s daughter, Elizabeth, takes special notice of one of the girls and names her Julia. Eden practices silent walking around her room, constantly lubricating her door to avoid making noise. Eli continues to dream about escaping and visits Eden, but she drives him away. A couple of minutes later, Julia appears on Eden’s doorstep, seeking help. Eden, not ready to plan an escape, asks Julia to be as quiet as possible not to draw attention. During the dinner hosted by the Confederates in honor of their latest victory, a shy and modest soldier named Daniel pays attention to Julia and admires her beauty. Captain Jasper orders Julia to return to the house and wait for the arrival of the night guest.
A little later, Daniel visits a dark-skinned beauty to spend the night with her. He is still very modest and shy, so Julia decides to thank him for the compliments. However, secluded with the girl, Daniel refuses her request to help. Enraged by Julia’s speech without permission, Daniel hits her in the face. Julia’s screams anger him even more, and he kicks her in the stomach before hastily leaving her house.
In the morning, the soldiers leave for the front, and Julia arrives late at the plantation. Captain Jasper warns her that this is the last time, threatening severe punishment. Shortly after, Eden notices blood on Julia’s dress, indicating that she had a miscarriage. Julia screams in grief and pain, attracting unnecessary attention. Eden tries to silence her and asks Eli to divert Captain Jasper’s attention. Eli covers the girls and insults the captain when he rides past on a horse. Seeing the blood on Julia’s dress, the captain allows her to clean up and gives Eden the chance to help her.
After interacting with the slaves, Captain Jasper returns to Eli to confront him. Eli, not afraid of the bloodthirsty master, contradicts him but doesn’t cross the line, as he values his life. As punishment, the captain sends him to the crematorium to remove the ashes from the burning of disobedient slaves. In the crematorium, Eli finds the Golden Cross of his deceased wife and takes it, hanging it around his neck. Realizing that his beloved is gone, he nearly goes crazy and tears his clothes in an attempt to relieve the terrible pain.
Later, in the evening, the movie takes us to the modern world, where Eden is Veronica Henley, a well-known sociologist, writer, and activist fighting for the rights of black women. She openly speaks about gender and racial inequality and oppression, fearlessly challenging well-known journalists. Veronica has a loving husband, Nick, and a wonderful daughter, Kennedy, who support her in everything she does. Before going on a business trip to present her book at a conference, Veronica communicates with a stranger named Elizabeth online. The conversation becomes increasingly strange and impudent, irritating Veronica to the point where she ends it. Before Veronica leaves on her business trip, Kennedy gives her a drawing to remind her of home.
Upon arriving in another city, Veronica does yoga and then meets her friend, Dawn. Dawn wants to share some new gossip, but Veronica is in a hurry because she has to attend a conference where hundreds of black women are waiting for her. Veronica gives an inspiring speech, aiming to promote her new book, and makes a strong impression. After the performance, Dawn suggests they relax at a cafe and have a fun night out. Veronica agrees but only until midnight since she has to return home in the morning.
Back in her room to change, Veronica encounters a mysterious girl who demands silence, but Veronica doesn’t pay much attention to her. At the cafe, Veronica, Dawn, and their friend Sarah enjoy champagne and have a good time. At one point, a stranger joins them, but Dawn dismisses him easily, leaving her business card for him.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth breaks into Veronica’s hotel room and steals her lipstick, making a mess in the room before leaving. After dinner with her friends, Veronica can’t find her lipstick and takes a selfie while waiting for a taxi to take her back to the hotel. Due to loud music, she mistakenly enters someone else’s car, driven by Elizabeth. Realizing the mistake, Veronica tries to get out, but Elizabeth’s husband, Jasper, hits her head against the glass, rendering her unconscious.
When Veronica wakes up, she finds herself in a bed on a plantation with General Eden. She overhears a phone call from the man and later practices silent walking around the room, realizing that this is her new reality, not a dream. As Veronica explores, she discovers the harsh conditions of slavery and the brutal actions of Captain Jasper.
Veronica warns Eli that they will attempt to escape again. Upon returning to her room, she finds a scratch drawing on the wall, similar to the one her daughter Kennedy gave her before she entered this new world.
At night, after the general falls asleep following another encounter, Veronica stealthily leaves the house to steal his phone and meet with Eli. She calls the police but hears two soldiers approaching, so she hides behind the house. Daniel and his friend take the phone, and Veronica and Eli chase after them. When Daniel is alone, they attack him. Eli kills a soldier with an ax and retrieves the phone. However, the phone can only be unlocked with facial recognition, forcing them to return to the house.
The general attacks them and kills Eli, but Veronica manages to escape. When the general leaves the house, she severely injures him and forces him to open his eyes to unlock the phone. She calls her husband, sends him her coordinates, and asks for help. After removing the Confederate flag, she hides the general in the crematorium and then encounters Jasper. Veronica deceives the captain and the soldier accompanying him, pretending that the general needs help. Once all three are in the crematorium, she locks the door and sets fire to the firewood, intending to end the offenders once and for all.
Wearing a malicious soldier’s uniform, Veronica attempts to escape the plantation on the general’s horse. Elizabeth pursues her and catches up in the woods. Veronica learns that Elizabeth personally chose the slaves for the plantation, and Veronica ended up there at the whim of her father, Senator Blake Denton. He sought revenge for Veronica’s struggle for equal rights for whites and blacks and orchestrated her kidnapping.
At the right moment, Veronica throws Elizabeth off her horse and, in the ensuing fight, uses a rope to strangle her. Soldiers approach, so Veronica continues to run and drags Elizabeth’s body along. Eventually, Veronica accidentally breaks Elizabeth’s neck on the monument to General Robert Lee, and she dies.
Veronica keeps running to escape the persecution and finds herself on a battlefield, realizing that the events are part of a Civil War reconstruction held in a park called Antebellum. After leaving the area where the senator and his accomplices recreated the times of slavery, Veronica encounters the police and law enforcement agencies conducting a search, assisting captives, and arresting the senator’s accomplices.
Sometime later, the park is closed and demolished. The movie ends here.
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