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Regina Hall’s new film, Master, is not your typical horror film. It’s darkness isn’t only about leaving you terrified. it’s also shining light on these racially charged times that will still struggle in. Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, who has been promoted to be the first Black “Master” of a pompous New England Ancaster College that’s “nearly as old as the country.” There is a longstanding rumor among students that the college is haunted, and after Professor Bishop steps into her new role, this fable begins to become fact.
After her promotion, she finally gets a seat at the table amongst the college’s most elite faculty, something she had been waiting for her entire career there. But once she gets to rub elbows with them, she starts to regret it as her suspicions about the school being haunted are confirmed. Now she is wondering who is the college actually haunted by.
As this occurs, Professor Bishop meets freshman Jasmine Moore, played by Zoe Renee, who has a dorm room that students believe is haunted. She also begins to bump heads with another Black professor, Liv Beckman, played by Amber Gray, who is more preoccupied with gaining tenure status among the white, elitist faculty.
Master, which was directed by Mariama Diallo, was a favorite during January’s virtual Sundance Film Festival. During a panel presented by Adobe during the festival, Diallo said pointed out the problem around how Black horror films are received and categorized.
“I think that there’s a way in which horror films made by Black artists are being received as kind of teaching tools for non-Black artists to receive, and also just as a novelty,” she said according to IndieWire.
She added, “How could I never make a film and not talk about my perspective? Then we’re doomed. I am glad to be able to now add my voice and say what the hell I want to say.”
Master will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on March 18. See the trailer below.
