‘Master’ Tackles The Harrowing Horrors of Academia [Trailer]
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature is what the academic world has needed for quite some time. Her film Master is all about what it means to be Black on a predominantly white campus, whether you’re a student or a member of the faculty. It’s a film that casts the deeply racist academy into a much-needed light to illuminate how those who take pride in dictating what students are taught are often upholding racist institutions and ideals.
In Master,
three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore, an energetic and optimistic Black freshman. Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted.
Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman, a professor in the middle of her own racially charged tenure review. As Gail tries to maintain order and fulfill the duties of a Master, the cracks begin to show in Ancaster’s once-immaculate facade. After a career spent fighting to make it into Ancaster’s inner circle, Gail is confronted with the horrifying prospect of what lies beneath, her question ultimately becoming not whether the school is haunted, but by whom.
Watch the trailer for Master:
In her review out of Sundance, Sharai Bohannon wrote:
The real horror at times takes a backseat to the more traditional kind of horror. However, Master still gives us a lot to talk about and is worth the watch.
Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, and Amber Gray star in Master.
The film hits Prime Video on March 18.
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