The ‘Antebellum’ Teaser Trailer Featuring Janelle Monáe Previews An Utterly Captivating Mystery

Before today, Antebellum didn’t have an official title — it was simply “Untitled Bush + Renz project,” referring to the film’s directors, Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, who, per Deadline, “are known for their deep creative layers, highlighting social issues as a hallmark of their innovative, edgy approach.” They also directed Jay-Z’s “Kill Jay-Z” music video and a police brutality PSA with Michael B. Jordan. In fact, almost nothing was known about Antebellum, other than it was set to star Janelle Monáe, along with Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, and Gabourey Sidibe. So… what’s it about

I’m still not entirely sure, even after watching the visually engaging teaser trailer above, but it appears to take place during the Civil War. But also now The official plot description isn’t much help: “Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late.” The posters highlight that Antebellum comes “from the producer of Get Out and Us,” so expect something like those socially conscious horror movies.

Antebellum, which also stars Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Tongayi Chirisa, Robert Aramayo, Lily Cowles, and Marque Richardson (and should not be confused with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum), opens on April 24, 2020.