master movie review

Filed under:

Amazon’s horror movie Master balances racial politics with an intense ghost story

Support the Girls’ Regina Hall stars in a film that finds more tension in familiar human threats than in supernatural ones

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Amazon’s horror movie Master balances racial politics with an intense ghost story

This review was originally published in conjunction with Master ’s debut screenings at the 2022 Sundance International Film Festival. It has been updated, reformatted, and republished for the film’s streaming release on Amazon Video.

Allegorical horror has become a popular genre with filmmakers from marginalized groups, and it’s easy to understand why: Horror stories can make difficult topics more approachable, and they find funding and audiences more easily than just about any other genre right now. Emotionally and stylistically, they’re also a perfect canvas for expressing rage and fear. But they’re difficult to get right tonally. If the horror imagery is linked too neatly to the themes, they can come off as rigid and didactic. If the association is too loose, the horror elements can end up looking like grisly set-dressing on a social-issue drama.

Master , the arresting debut feature from writer-director Mariama Diallo, walks this line with confidence, if not quite precision. It’s a tale of racism and exclusion at an Ivy League college, but it’s also a story about a good old-fashioned New England witch haunting. The two strands are tightly intertwined and suggestive of each other, but Diallo makes the connection between them opaque, sometimes to frustrating degrees. The tense, unsettling mood is consistent through every minute of the film. The hauntings are scary, but the microaggressions and twisted racial politics that turn every conversation into a minefield are scarier still.

Master follows two Black women navigating a new academic year at the fictional Ancaster College. Jasmine (Zoe Renee) is a wide-eyed freshman student from faraway Tacoma, shy and coltish in her natural hair and plain clothes. Gail (Regina Hall) is an established faculty member who has just been appointed as the college’s first Black “Master” — the institution’s antiquated term for a head of house, and a word heavy with uncomfortable echoes.

Those echoes can be heard everywhere on Ancaster’s genteel, historic campus. Gail moves with pride into her new digs, a beautiful red-brick lodge, but she does so alone, and finds the drafty house filled with reminders of Black servitude and subjugation. Jasmine, meanwhile, moves into a room that campus legends claim is haunted. A student died in the room decades ago, a death linked to a “curse” placed on the school by Margaret Millett, a woman who was hanged for witchcraft on the site centuries earlier. It’s said that Millett’s ghost shows itself to one freshman every year, and at the moment of her own death at 3:33 a.m., takes the student with her to hell.

Jasmine and Gail both start to see vague but sinister omens: maggots oozing from a rip in a painting, the face of some college grandee in another portrait distorting into a cadaverous scream. These moments of classic horror imagery are chilling and repulsive. But Diallo and cinematographer Charlotte Hornsby glide past these visions, rather than jolting audiences with jump scares. The characters, puzzled and unnerved, slide back into the routine of campus life, but the unease comes with them. Master moves like a cat, stealthy and purposeful, with an even gait. It’s an impressive feat of control from a first-time director.

The point is that feelings of disquiet, alienation, and dread are pervasive for these women in even the most ordinary encounters, as they try to find a place for themselves within a bastion of white supremacy. Much like Jordan Peele’s Get Out , Diallo’s scalpel-sharp screenplay constructs scene after fraught scene of coded racial friction, alive to the many different ways that racism can poison the well — blatant or subtle, malevolent or condescending, inter- or intra-racial. Fraternity bros scream the N-word in aggressive appropriation as they sing along to a rap song at a party. A Black canteen server ingratiates herself to the white students, but regards Jasmine with hostility. Celebrating Gail’s promotion, the white professors ask if they should call her “Barack” now. White students find a casual facility with a Black professor’s critical race theory reading of The Scarlet Letter , while Jasmine challenges it and gets marked down.

That professor, Liv (Amber Gray), becomes an increasingly important figure as Master ’s story broadens and deepens, though she remains strangely ambiguous. She’s a friend and comrade-in-arms to Gail, and she’s fighting for tenure. Jasmine files a complaint against Liv over the failing grade, which complicates Gail’s position as she tries to advocate for her friend and improve the school’s dismal record for diversity. Somehow, the system has turned the three women against each other, or at least enmeshed their fates in a sticky ethical web, when they were only asking for seats at the table. Master is relentlessly on point in its attacks on white privilege, but it’s justified in that targeting. And Diallo’s sophistication and sangfroid as a filmmaker, coupled with her canny use of genre, prevent the film from turning into a diatribe.

Within the film’s surprisingly complex setup, the outright horror of the witch haunting is the bluntest instrument. It’s used to ratchet up the sense of danger as Jasmine burrows deeper into hostile territory, is ostracized by her classmates, and researches the earlier student death in her room. Honestly, the haunting doesn’t always mesh with the real social horrors she faces. But it does allow Hornsby to frame some strikingly creepy shots, breaking up her austere, autumnal compositions with walls of red and slashes of black, embedded in Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe’s ominous, droning score. Elsewhere, Diallo and Hornsby create layered, metaphorical images that are subtler but no less lingering, like the shadow of a janitor mopping the floor behind Gail and Jasmine as they delicately discuss her complaint against Liv. These Black women are still cleaning up the mess, generations after the maid whose memory haunts Gail’s house.

As Jasmine, Zoe Renee gives Master its naked emotional center. But its anchor is the terrific Regina Hall, as quietly magnetic here as she was in the underseen Support the Girls . With Amber Gray acting as a brittle and unpredictable foil, Hall commands the film. Her steadying presence helps Diallo in her brave choice to complicate rather than resolve her themes during a fascinating, surprising final act.

Is Diallo just using horror as a Trojan horse for the social drama that really preoccupies her? Perhaps, although Master ’s creeping, wintry style suggests she has a real affinity for the genre at its most chilling and Kubrickian. And while the haunting is never explicitly linked to the college’s grotesque enshrinement of privilege and bigotry, they inspire similar dread. Both, after all, are about history reaching into the present and pulling people back into darkness.

Master is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Halle Berry’s new survival horror movie, Never Let Go, looks like a terrifying trip to the woods

Karyn kusama shares why she thinks her dracula movie got staked through the heart, dead boy detectives proves yaoi would save a repressed edwardian schoolboy.

site categories

‘furiosa’ opening action muted with $59m global debut; why didn’t it strong-arm the marketplace – international box office, int’l critics line: anna smith on india’s hit action thriller ‘master’.

By Anna Smith

More Stories By Anna

• ‘Blue Jean’ Review: Georgia Oakley’s Debut Feature A Refreshing And Educational Watch
• ‘Scarlet’ Review: Pietro Marcello’s Period Drama Is A Film Of Many Parts
• ‘Joyland’ Review: Saim Sadiq’s Love Story First Feature Film From Pakistan To Play At Cannes

After an impressive start at India’s box office, the Tamil-language film Master has hit Amazon Prime Video across the globe, and looks set to maintain the star power of leading actor Vijay . Two years after playing a charismatic soccer coach in Bigil , Vijay dances into the role of a charismatic professor in Master . He’s John Durairaj, aka “JD,” the Dean of Student Affairs at a prestigious college in Chennai. He’s so beloved that the students won’t turn up to events without him. And he’s so fond of a drink, that they frequently have to show up at his house and drag him there. It’s clear that Vijay’s faintly comical drunk act will give way to sobriety and a more serious plot line, but there’s plenty of song and dance to be had first, with an energetic score from Anirudh Ravichander.

Related Stories

Loan out corporations could end, iatse tells members.

Clarkson's Farm Finds Huge Fanbase In China Where It Is "Teaching Young People About Farming"

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj takes a typically leisurely approach while unfolding the narrative, which introduces the antagonist first, and in detail. Vijay Sethupathi plays it somber and straight as Bhavani, an orphan brutalized in a correctional facility who has become a powerful man and taken over the Lorry Driver’s Union. What sympathy we have for him evaporates as he’s revealed to be drugging kids and teens and co-opting them into his crime gang. Most of these come from the juvenile reform center in Nagercoil — a center that could really, guess what?, use a new Master. Preferably one with a moral compass as strong as his right hook.

Taking up the post, JD’s own path to redemption is far from smooth, with disturbing incidents creating higher stakes and inflaming his motive. These incidents also encourage much-needed emotional investment from the audience. But Master will still be most impactful for fans who already adore Vijay as much as the camera does, as it lingers on his dramatic entrances to each scene. While JD schools the pupils in “Personality Development,” his own character is, ironically, less developed than that of his arch enemy. There’s little to explain the devotion of hundreds of students, other than a cheeky wink and a willingness to roll up his sleeves and chase after the bad boys. In order to justify his alcoholism, he tells tall tales about his dark past, which — amusingly — are all based on plot lines from films. But when the real story is told, it’s brief and anti-climactic.

Female characters are sidelined, from Andrea Jeremiah’s PE teacher to Malavika Mohanan’s professor, but the boys in the penitentiary fare better. One, Unidiyal (Poovaiyar) has a particularly entertaining scene that reveals his intelligence as well as his backstory in one deft stroke. More of this precision would have been welcome in Master . But when the two Vijays line up for the final battle — one nimble footed and playful, the other grim and glaring — it’s easy to forgive and forget. Master may deliver its lessons with a heavy hand, but it’s got the charisma to see you through.

Must Read Stories

George lucas feted; neon five in a row; analysis; gerwig; more.

Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ Scoops Top Award; Prizes For ‘Emilia Perez’ & More

‘furiosa’ up in smoke with $31m, ‘garfield’ could upset, how worried should hollywood be, international critics line.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

20 comments.

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Review: Terrifying racism-in-academia is trapped in the far less frightening horror of ‘Master’

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Six minutes into Mariama Diallo’s “Master,” before anything has even slightly gone bump in the night, the film is as scary as it is going to get. But it’s not so much fear of as fear for: Hopeful, excited freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee) is starting the fall semester as one of the only Black students at Ancaster College, a fictional bastion of white, Ivy League privilege. And she’s so sympathetically drawn by Diallo (whose own Yale experiences inform the story) and so appealingly played by Renee that instantly, given the gently ominous cues of camera and score, we know to be scared for her. The exact nature of what lies in store is almost immaterial; the dimming of her bright, eager, take-on-the-world optimism is a looming tragedy in itself.

There have already been a couple of odd occurrences. Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), a tenured Ancaster professor, discovers an unexplained muddy footprint when moving in to the big old house that is one of the perks of being ordained the new master of Belleville Hall — a kind of adviser-chaperone-guardian to the girls living there. Jasmine’s orientation adviser lets out a little yelp of surprise when she sees that Jasmine has been assigned “that room” but won’t explain further. No matter: A cleverly intercut opening draws a parallel between the two characters, separated by a generation but united in evident, well-earned pride at getting to open doors to a future to which few Black women have had access.

For your safety

The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC and local health officials .

Jasmine meets her roommate, Amelia (Talia Ryder), who is already part of a crew. They make space for the newcomer — not effusively but not grudgingly — once Jasmine reveals herself as the funny, friendly, cool girl that she is. But the room they share has an unhappy history: The first-ever Black Ancaster student hanged herself here in the ‘60s, and rumors of it being haunted, possibly by a witch who was burned nearby in Pilgrim times, have abounded since.

Simultaneously, Gail is networking by throwing a housewarming soirée for her (predominantly white) colleagues, during which she discovers a racist figurine stashed under the sink. It is disturbing, but not nearly as much as the unconscious condescension with which she’s treated by her peers. Gail’s gracious, practiced responses to their blithe biases suggest how much pride she’s had to swallow to get where she is. But they also reinforce her complicity, her tacit agreement to be so grateful to be here at all that she won’t struggle as the engulfing ivy of the institution’s inherently conservative traditions gradually chokes the life — and the fire and the protest — out of her.

Even as anodyne a greeting as “Welcome to the club!” sounds loaded when it’s deployed by an old white guy in ostensible congratulations to a Black woman, while, when she hears Gail described as a possible future president, the dean (Talia Balsam) quips, “Should I call you ‘Barack’?”

“Your parents must be so proud,” the librarian tells Jasmine with saccharine sincerity before checking her bag for stolen books. And it’s not just the white staff who treat Jasmine differently: The Black cafeteria worker code-switches into frosty mode around her, and her literature professor Liv (Amber Gray) — a social justice activist in long braids who is Gail’s best friend — dismisses her input while lavishing praise (“Brilliant, Cressida!”) on her classmates. Each microaggression chips at Jasmine and Gail’s resolve and enthusiasm to macro effect, giving “Master” its heartbreakingly pessimistic undertow.

But despite this incisive dramatic perspective, Diallo is determined to make a horror film, and soon these well observed moments are engulfed in a deluge of supernatural hokum that paradoxically makes “Master” much more mundane.

Jasmine falls out with Amelia over a boy and starts to have nightmares, waking up with mysterious scratches on her body. Gail is constantly distracted by the tinkling of a bell in the old servants’ quarters of her house. A nearby community of Puritan holdouts supplies some eerie nighttime-ritual backdrop, and a hooded figure begins hanging out in Jasmine’s peripheral vision, even before she gets her dead predecessor’s diary, to be read in the library at 3 a.m. under inevitably flickering lights. None of these ho-hum scare tactics has half the queasy charge of a roomful of fratty white guys leaping around Jasmine braying the N-word along to a rap song. None has the uncanny prickle of Gail being invited to “add flavor” to a roomful of white academics swilling wine and listening to Christopher Cross.

As if the film itself were unconvinced by its horror-movie trappings, the last third is almost entirely devoid of supernatural elements. Instead, it focuses on late-breaking colorism and passing issues, on racial tokenism in academia and the limits of one individual’s power to effect institutional change. These are interesting and knotty topics, treated intelligently and with insight, and along with a subplot about a potential rape and myriad other motifs that go nowhere, they warrant more than the cursory screen time they get here.

“It’s not ghosts, it’s not supernatural. It’s America, and it’s everywhere,” Gail tells Jasmine. Though delivered with grave elegance by a committed and convincing Hall, it’s an unusually clunky, on-the-nose line that also points out the central flaw in Diallo’s stylistically promising but narratively undisciplined debut. The ghosts of Ancaster’s racist past are not half as terrifying as its solid, flesh-and-blood manifestations in the present day, because history repeats itself not just in metaphors and spectral whispers, but loudly and overtly, for those who didn’t hear it the first time around.

And so “Master” ends up a genre film in which the outlandish generic elements — the witches and the maggots, the fizzing bulbs and out-of-sync shadows — are far less frightening than its portrayal of this real, everyday world in which racism isn’t a long-dead bogeyman; it’s alive, breathing, banal.

'Master'

Rated: R, for language and some drug use Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes Playing: starts March 18, Alamo Drafthouse, downtown Los Angeles; the Landmark, West Los Angeles; also available on Amazon Prime Video

More to Read

Review: There’s no curiosity about Amy Winehouse at all in the reductive, shallow portrait ‘Back to Black’

May 15, 2024

Review: ‘Home Alone’ with fangs, ‘Abigail’ is a comedy that goes violently wrong for kidnappers

April 16, 2024

Review: ‘Monsters of the American Cinema’ confronts the horror in grief

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Entertainment & Arts

‘Furiosa’ and ‘Garfield’ tussle over worst Memorial Day weekend box office in 29 years

May 26, 2024

‘Sight’ highlights the journey and faith of an Asian American medical hero who helped the blind see

May 25, 2024

Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ wins Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival

The six best movies we saw at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘master’: film review | sundance 2022.

Regina Hall stars in Mariama Diallo’s debut feature about a trio of Black women surviving their fall semester at a prestigious, historically white college.

By Lovia Gyarkye

Lovia Gyarkye

Arts & Culture Critic

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

Ancaster College, the picturesque setting of Mariama Diallo’s debut feature Master , boasts an impressive number of white alumni. The fictional alma mater has educated an army of senators and two presidents — they could have had a third, but they rejected him, forcing that future head of state to settle for Harvard. The school’s verdant grounds are punctiliously maintained by a near invisible staff, and its halls vibrate with history. Most of the student body and faculty are white, but occasionally a Black person joins the institution, though they, of course, never quite find their footing.

The last few years have affirmed that the Black American experience is well-suited to the conventions of horror storytelling. Jordan Peele’s 2017 film Get Out inspired a renaissance and re-appreciation: Horror became the preferred lens for investigating the country’s grotesque fascination with and treatment of its Black citizens. Diallo’s movie, a wry slice of horror that follows three Black women trying to call a tony college home, is an assured addition to this recent tradition.

Related Stories

Dakota johnson plays the field in trailer for coming-out dramedy 'am i ok', with the departure of its ceo, sundance now must chart a new course.

Release Date: Tuesday, March 18 (Amazon) Venue: Sundance Film Festival (U.S. Dramatic Competition) Cast: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, Amber Gray Director-screenwriter: Mariama Diallo

Master opens at the beginning of Ancaster College’s fall semester. The school is brimming with the youthful energy of a new academic year, and it’s within this context that we meet Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an exuberant freshman and one of the college’s few Black students. She confidently shuffles around campus in those early days. Nothing can burst the bubble of this young Black suburbanite from Washington state — not even the inconvenient fact that her room, number 302, is haunted.

The entire institution, in fact, is cursed. Jasmine learns about Margaret Millett, a witch who died centuries ago near campus and haunts the area, from her mostly white classmates. They giddily divulge details of the tale over casual dorm room hangs or during raucous fraternity parties. Diallo, whose short film Hair Wolf won a Jury Award at Sundance in 2018, has proven herself to be an adept architect of taut, witty scenes, and she continues to flex that skill in Master. Jasmine’s collegiate experiences — the incompatible friendship, the booze-heavy parties and contrived seminar discussions — are rendered with the precision of someone attuned to the dread and latent horror of these situations. Jasmine struggles to navigate the blunt manner in which her classmates exercise their power and privilege; their audacity perturbs her more than the rumors of the witch who marks one student to die every year.

In a different sphere of campus are two other Black women trying to figure out their place: Gail Bishop, the school’s first Black “Master,” or dean of students, and Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a literature professor up for tenure. As part of her new role, Gail moves into a near palatial home, furnished with gilded antiques and reminders of the school’s racist history. Liv, on the other hand, struggles to initiate a campus diversity project and to connect with Jasmine, whom she teaches. In their off hours, the two women support each other — convening for gossip sessions and going for long runs through the campus’ winding, deserted woods. Their friendship resembles those born out of necessity and mutual recognition of loneliness.

Master is organized by chapters, each introduced with a title card of text that resurfaces in dialogue later. These tightly conceived vignettes form a fascinating study of the racist undercurrents pulsating through institutions. They also offer Diallo and DP Charlotte Hornsby room to experiment within the genre: A desaturated, almost muted visual language coupled with a liberal use of slow tracking shots add to a sense of relative unease. Some scenes stay with you — like one of Jasmine surrounded by a group of white boys rapping along to a song, their angular faces monstrously contorting as they become emboldened enough to yell “n—er”; or another when Gail celebrates her new position with her peers, their shrill laughs teetering on the delicate line between enthusiasm and mocking.

Despite the strength of these moments, however, Master — rich with cutting jokes akin to the ones in Wolf Hair or even segments Diallo wrote for Terence Nance’s HBO comedy Random Acts of Flyness — doesn’t always satisfyingly cohere. The plot takes peculiar paths as it juggles the perspectives of the three women, whose experiences vary widely. Jasmine begins to have intense nightmares, which further isolates her from her classmates and makes it difficult to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Gail’s efforts to properly settle into her home becomes a maddening exercise — strange sounds ring throughout the residence and maggots infest every crevice. Liv’s greatest stressor remains whether or not the school will grant her tenure despite her “thin” publishing history.

With all these plotlines, the film can sometimes feel like an amalgamation of competing narrative threads. Intriguing moments, like Jasmine not receiving the same enthusiastic greeting as the white students from the dining staff, promise revelations that never come. Character development loses out as a result of the ambitious storytelling; save for Liv, the other women feel unintentionally mysterious. It’s curious, then, that figures like Jasmine’s white roommate Amelia ( Never Rarely Sometimes Always ’ Talia Ryder) are given more heft than warranted.

As Jasmine, Gail and Liv plod through the fall semester, the campus’ strangeness becomes more noticeable. Racist incidents occur, like someone carving the word “LEAVE” onto Jasmine’s door and attaching a noose to the unsavory note. Gail, who emerges as the film’s central character, is unsettled by these instances, and tries her best to crack the mystery. But she’s dealing with her own issues, too — mainly trying to make sure that a grade dispute Jasmine initiated against Liv doesn’t ruin the latter’s chance at tenure. Master often bursts with an exciting tension as the women struggle to make sense of what is happening to them.

The film’s final moments make good on that tension, closing out a third act with several surprising twists. Despite its hiccups and frustrations, Master is inventive in finding fresh ways to package familiar observations about American racism; even the most clichéd sentiments are delivered with a nudge and a wink. As the credits rolled, I couldn’t help but admire, above all else, Diallo’s boldness. I’m already looking forward to her next project.

Full credits

Venue: Sundance Film Festival (U.S.Dramatic Competition) Distributor: Amazon Production companies: Amazon, Big Indie Pictures Cast: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, Amber Gray Director-screenwriter: Mariama Diallo Producers: Joshua Astrachan, Brad Becker-Parton, Andrea Roa Executive producers: Regina Hall, Mariama Diallo, Sophia Lin, Terence Nance Director of photography: Charlotte Hornsby Production designer: Tommy Love, Meredith Lippincott Costume designer: Mirren Gordon-Crozier Editors: Jennifer Lee, Maya Maffioli Music: Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe Casting director: Jessica Daniels, Daniel Frankel

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Cannes: korean action maestro ryoo seung-wan on reinventing the cop movie for ‘i, the executioner’, inaugural prix luciole awards honor poster art at cannes, box office meltdown: ‘garfield’ claims victory over ‘furiosa’ with worst no. 1 memorial day opening in three decades, glen powell on why he feared he “ruined” ‘hidden figures’, lily gladstone says “it’s irrelevant whether or not” she won the oscar for ‘killers of the flower moon’, richard sherman, oscar-winning songwriter on ‘mary poppins,’ dies at 95.

clock This article was published more than  2 years ago

‘Master’ is a horror movie in the shadow of ‘Get Out’: a metaphor for race in America

Regina Hall and Zoe Renee play two Black women on an overwhelmingly White college campus.

In “Master,” Regina Hall plays Gail Bishop, the newly appointed dean of students — or master — at a prestigious Massachusetts college called Ancaster. While Gail is moving into her new home, where the walls are covered with ivy, another initiation is occurring across campus, with the arrival of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), a newly arrived freshman who makes her way to the quad with a familiar mixture of confidence and wariness.

“We’ve got a live one,” an upperclassman chirps when she spies Jasmine, a line delivered with such cheerful malice that the viewer is immediately put on edge. There are moments in “Master,” which marks the promising if uneven feature debut of writer-director Mariama Diallo, when Gail and Jasmine’s parallel but common travails feel like they’re heading into territory already plumbed by such satires as “ Dear White People ” and the Netflix series “ The Chair .” Soon enough, it becomes clear that Diallo’s main reference is “ Get Out ” and other works of elevated horror that have sought to dramatize the displacement and psychic violence so often experienced by Black people navigating historically White spaces.

Those moments of discomfort range from humiliating microaggressions and lazy assumptions (Jasmine’s White roommate and her friends blithely throw her a rag to clean up a mess they made) to outright malevolence. One of “Master’s” most effective scenes features Jasmine at a frat party, dancing expressively to a joyful pop song, only to realize moments later that her White peers are chanting the N-word with gleeful abandon.

Meanwhile, Gail has entered her own crucible: Well-meaning colleagues compare her to former president Barack Obama, and when another woman of color is put up for tenure, she’s confronted with a stark reminder of who belongs at Ancaster and who doesn’t.

Of course, as one character says midway through “Master,” this isn’t about Ancaster. It’s about America. Although Diallo makes some trenchant observations about diversity-equity-inclusion initiatives and cultural appropriation (culminating in a clever third-act reveal), she jams too many plot beats, characters and polemical points into the narrative for all of them to pay off satisfactorily. Although “Master” involves a fair amount of magical realism and dream sequences, too it often lacks credibility. Would it really take Jasmine as long as it does to meet one of the only other Black students on campus?

“Master” is a deeply pessimistic movie, in which both Renee and Hall deliver quietly powerful portrayals of women who come to crucial realizations much too late — about isolation, identity and their own roles within structures and stories that were never created to support them. “Master” might be a horror film, but its scariest elements are off screen, in the form of the persistent social realities that inspired it.

R. At area theaters. Contains strong language and some drug use. 91 minutes.

Master Review: Vijay And Vijay Sethupathi Make A Winning Combination

Master review: with vijay and vijay sethupathi squaring off and kanagaraj orchestrating the duet to apportion equal importance to the two actors, the film tides over the bumps without turning turtle..

Master Review: Vijay And Vijay Sethupathi on a poster (courtesy actorvijaysethupathi )

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Arjun Das, Nassar, Andrea Jeremiah

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

A great deal of superfluity creeps into Vijay The Master (the title of the Hindi version of Lokesh Kanagaraj's Tamil-language Master , released theatrically) and contributes to a film that feels avoidably bloated in parts. It is often apparent that the screenplay by Kanagaraj, Rathna Kumar and Pon Parthiban could have done with some pruning.

But with Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi squaring off in a rousing thriller, and Kanagaraj orchestrating the duet with a sense of proportion that enables him to apportion equal importance to the two actors, the film tides over the bumps without turning turtle.

You know you are in pure Vijay territory when the action hero sends a hip-flask sliding across a Metro station platform to prevent a train door from slamming shut and saving the bad guys from his ire. You aren't supposed to nitpick over little things out here. Go with the flow.

Let the infectiously energetic Vijay croon a kutti (little) story (in a wonderfully choreographed jailhouse song) but Vijay The Master is anything but 'little'. Neither is the film masterly by any reckoning. This despite the sustained flamboyance that Kanagaraj, editor Philomin Raj and cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan lend to the project, which integrates easy-to-grasp popular storytelling codes with a vigorously stylish structure that can withstand the weight of an overheated drama.

Especially striking is the way in which Vijay The Master plays off the arc of the protagonist against that of the villain while skillfully intertwining them through the lively rhythm of the intercuts back and forth between the two divergent worlds that the duo represents.

In a crucial 'turning point' scene in the film, one of the two men says to the other: "I am telling you nothing new but do hear me out, I am waiting." One whole half of the film is left at this point and we do find ourselves in the mood to wait and see how the rest pans out.

Admittedly, Vijay The Master says nothing new, but it certainly is worth hearing out. It abounds his action sequences that bring out the mental and physical characteristics of the two men. Both have the habit of sniffing into the lapel of their shirt between blows, but no two men could be as dissimilar as the two. Vijay wears out his opponents (until he decides to turn his kada into a weapon of offence; Bhavani blows them away, literally, with the power of his iron fist.

JD Sir (Vijay), an alcoholic college professor admired by his students for his easygoing ways but disliked by the management for his wayward nature, is an idealistic, if seriously flawed, loner. There is a ritualistic quality to everything he does, beginning with the grand entry sequence that has Thalapathy Vijay swinging into 'action' on a bus and a Metro train to stop two aberrant sons of a wealthy man from flying away to Canada.

Master Review: Vijay And Vijay Sethupathi on a poster

Waking JD up from a drunken stupor takes a ritual of another kind and the students of the college that has placed him under suspension have to resort to musical means to stir the man back to life. It is not until well into the second half that the audience is allowed to learn why JD hit the bottle.

JD spins stories about aborted love affairs but they are all borrowed from films stored in his memory. He goes to the extent of trying to palm off Jack and Rose's affair from James Cameron's Titanic as his own love story.

Opposed to this noble, well-meaning drifter is the uber-evil Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi), who, like JD, is an orphan. At age 17 (the younger Bhavani is played by Mahendran), in Nagercoil, he witnesses his lorry driver father and his mother being burned alive by truck association rivals.

The ruthless Bhavani, who makes a living from the transport business, does not drink nor does he do drugs, but he runs a criminal empire that thrives on exploiting children at a government observation home through a network of accomplices within and outside the centre. Nobody in the observation home has ever seen Bhavani - he operates from the shadows.

Circumstances lead to JD taking over as the master of the drug-addled children. The job of reforming them is onerous. But we have a hero here who, in an allusion to his kabaddi player persona in Ghilli, uses the game to pummel Bhavani's men who have a free run of the home. One of Bhavani's key men is played Arjun Das, who was the antagonist in Kanagaraj's Kaithi ( Prisoner , 2019) - a fact that is referenced (in Hindi) in the line, " Hum toh hai awaara qaidi ."

JD and Bhavani interact only thrice in the course the film's three hours. The first conversation that they have is at the halfway point and it is entirely on a mobile phone that belongs to one of the baddie's henchmen. The second, too, ends before the two can see other's faces. Bhavani has his back to JD, who has a sharp object on the nape of the former's neck. The third face-off - now it is all-out war - is in the climax. It takes inordinately long to arrive, but it is a fitting finale to a classic, explosive clash between good and evil. What's more, it is punctuated with sly humour and rounded off with comments on the nature of politics and the kind of people that parties attract these days.

Because Vijay does not hog the entire limelight, it is possible for writer-director Kanagaraj to give the other Vijay in the cast full rein, which, in turn, enhances the quality of the build-up to the finale. With a villain (the man's fist are thanks to the blows that he rained on the wall of the observation home where he faced brutal torture on a daily basis as a teenager) primed to bring out the best - and the sternest - in the hero, the big climactic confrontation in an abattoir - one of Bhavani's businesses is meat export - is that much more impactful.

The film is littered with hat-tips to past productions starring Vijay himself and Kanagaraj's avowed idol Kamal Haasan. The latter's 1995 film, Nammavar , in which the Kamal played a righteous college professor, is one of the inspirations behind Vijay The Master .

In a back story that Nasser (in a special appearance) tells Charu, Selvam is mentioned as a professor JD met when he was at a loose end and benefitted from the association. Kamal Haasan's character in Nammavar was Prof. Selvam.

Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

There are a few women in the story - Vanitha (Andrea Jeremiah, in a blink-and-miss role of an archery champ), rookie professor Charulatha Prasad (Malavika Mohanan, who makes an impression and not only because she has a better-defined place in the larger scheme of things; she exudes charm and confidence) and Savitha (Gowri Kishan), a student who wins the college election against the campus toughie Bhargav (Shanthnu Bhagyaraj) in a rivalry that mutates into romance.

Vijay The Master is overlong all right, but Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi make a winning combination. Buoyed by a fantastic score by Anirudh Ravichander, here is a film that, for all its flaws, is keenly aware of the star power at its disposal and seldom punches below its weight.

Track Budget 2023 and get Latest News Live on NDTV.com.

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world .

India Elections | Read Latest News on Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Live on NDTV.com . Get Election Schedule , information on candidates, in-depth ground reports and more - #ElectionsWithNDTV

Watch Live News:

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

‘Master’ Review: Regina Hall Stands Atop a Towering and Inventive Shot in the Arm for Black Horror

Robert daniels.

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Share on LinkedIn
• Show more sharing options
• Submit to Reddit
• Post to Tumblr
• Print This Page
• Share on WhatsApp

Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Amazon Prime Video releases the film on its streaming platform on Friday, March 18.

A twisting tale that combines elements of “Candyman,” “The Shining,” and “Get Out,” Mariama Diallo’s “Master” isn’t the kind of traumatic horror film that interrogates racism solely as a fright in itself. Diallo is too smart for that. This mesmerizing freak out, a psychologically brutal witch and ghost story, pulls in viewers with smart writing, and even more brilliant performances. It explicates colorism, racial passing, micro-aggressions, and the crushing pressures of Black Excellence not as history-teaching, example-making cudgels, but as illnesses that live and breathe beneath and above the surface of America.

Set in the imposing halls of Ancaster College, a prestigious northeastern institution so exclusive it counts itself above Harvard (even FDR had a hard time getting in), “Master” coats the present-day school in the lingering air of the Salem witch trials. Centuries earlier a woman by the name of Margaret Millett was hanged there for witchcraft. School folklore now says that every year her ghost picks one freshman and, on the anniversary of her death at 3:33am, takes the unlucky soul with her.

The primary specter igniting the ancient fears in “Master” isn’t totally what creaks at night. The racism is so deep in both the past and present of the school that it’s seeped itself into every brick and every portrait of a frightening pale, white college founder adorning the walls. It’s the kind of place where the faces populating the pictures on the diversity package are the only eight people of color currently enrolled. The privileged white folks who attend know they belong. The few Black feel they must prove their worth.

That’s the uneasy situation Gail Bishop ( Regina Hall ), the new — and first — Black Master at the college is entering. The all-white tenured faculty have brought her in to essentially clean up their lack of diversity. Likewise, new freshman Jasmine ( Zoe Renee ), a young bright Black girl and the valedictorian of her high school class, stumbles through the same pressures. Jasmine is assigned the dreaded room 302, with Amelia (Talia Ryder), an affluent, but troubled white girl as her roommate.

Both Gail and Jasmine face a series of micro-aggressions: They’re compared by their white counterparts to Barack Obama, Beyonce, the Williams sisters. Diallo throws these gut punches, which both women must endure without a grimace, with the same dexterity as Jordan Peele with “Get Out,” during the Armitages’ annual get together. It would be a mistake, however, to totally compare the two films. “Master” runs on a different, more overt track: White men leer at Jasmine as an exotic other while she dances during a college house party. When Chop Mui’s “Black AGAVE” blasts over the speakers, the white bros exuberantly dance around a frightened Jasmine, and mouth every word, including the “n-word,” without hesitation.

Nothing comes easy to Jasmine. Even Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a Black professor who should be on her side, gives her an “F” on a Critical Race Theory paper about “The Scarlet Letter” while awarding her white classmates a passing grade. Liv is fighting against her racist colleagues for tenureship, and is hyper-aware of the ways she feels like she doesn’t belong. Is Liv holding Jasmine to a higher, nearly unattainable Black Excellence standard? Or are there more nefarious reasons for her stringent expectations? An elastic Gray is always purposefully overplaying her hand for a ruminative effect. The other beauty is Diallo’s patient, organic writing, which allows viewers to turn these seemingly disparate clues over, each more innocuous than the last, until they reach their unpredictable ends.

In this aching movie Diallo asks: At what cost should Black folks seek approval gatekeepers? Is the mental anguish that accompanies such trials ever worth it? At one point, Gail implores Jasmine not to quit. She explains how racism is the ghost that’ll never depart, how you can only be erased in this world if you surrender. It’s the kind of grit your teeth philosophy Black women are often pushed to accept if they want to succeed. But it’s advice that Gail soon learns doesn’t hold much weight in the face of your own mental well-being.

There’s a similar rich nimbleness in what initially comes across as a clumsy melding of two ghost stories: The spirit of a Black maid employed by a rich white family who once lived in Gail’s home haunts her, while a mysterious white voice calls the house phone asking for a daughter named “Elizabeth.” Diallo meshes these fascinating threads with Jasmine’s own specters: Recurring red neon nightmares of a dark hooded figure visit the freshman, a noose is mysteriously hung outside her door, a burning cross appears, and the memory of another Black girl — who attended the school in 1965 as its first African-American student but ultimately died by suicide — consumes her. In the vat of this crucible, the legend of the Salem Witch trials serves as a macguffin that Diallo sometimes over-teases.

A gripping Renee as Jasmine (she first broke out in Nijla Mumin’s sweet coming-of-age flick “Jinn”) imbues the frights with gravity, even when the film turns languid. Owing to a reliance on chapter titles, “Master” slows, nearly leaning too often on its scares, which often recall Bernard Rose’s “Candyman,” in DP Charlotte Hornsby’s eerie, red-soaked compositions set in a library and a bathroom. The mythology Diallo carefully built in the first act of the film takes a backseat temporarily, causing friction between the world building and the horror.

By way of Hall’s potent, internal performance (the actress has rarely been better) and Diallo sharpening the edges of her dense, multidimensional script to interrogate race through horror, rather than the scares being the horror itself, “Master” finds its footing again. A testament to this filmmaker’s shrewd craftsmanship: The final twenty minutes, recalling the “The Shining,” loops in Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe’s ghoulish score, and unpacks so many secrets involving colorism, passing, white paternalism, and so forth, that you wonder how Diallo kept it all together without every frame crumbling in her hands. It’s simply amazing. Detailed and deliberate, assertive but rarely obvious, Diallo’s “Master” is a towering, inventive shot in the arm for Black horror.

“Master” premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Amazon Studios will release it later this year.

Most Popular

You may also like.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Hit Man Link to Hit Man
• Babes Link to Babes

New TV Tonight

• Eric: Season 1
• We Are Lady Parts: Season 2
• Geek Girl: Season 1
• The Outlaws: Season 3
• Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted: Season 4
• America's Got Talent: Season 19
• Fiennes: Return to the Wild: Season 1
• The Famous Five: Season 1
• Couples Therapy: Season 4
• Celebrity Family Food Battle: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Tires: Season 1
• Evil: Season 4
• Outer Range: Season 2
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Bodkin: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Bridgerton: Season 3 Link to Bridgerton: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Cannes Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

All A24 Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Walton Goggins Talks The Ghoul’s Thirsty Fans and Fallout’s Western Influences on The Awards Tour Podcast

Vote For the Best Movie of 1999 – Round 1

• Trending on RT
• Furiosa First Reviews
• Most Anticipated 2025 Movies
• Best Movies of All Time
• TV Premiere Dates

Where to Watch

Watch Master with a subscription on Prime Video.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Lokesh Kanagaraj

Joseph Vijay

John Durairaj

Vijay Sethupathi

Malavika Mohanan

Chaarumathi Prasad

Andrea Jeremiah

Gouri Kishan

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Medithon Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas, Kiara Advani-Sidharth Malhotra: How Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli became the OG trendsetters for weddings in Bollywood

To-be Ambani bahu Radhika Merchant will be wearing THIS at her space-themed wedding party

Ratna Pathak Shah reveals what she 'loves, hates, and tolerates' about husband Naseeruddin Shah

BTS RM's inspirational quotes to lift your spirits and remind you thatyou'renever truly alone

Hrithik Roshan-Sussanne Khan attend Hrehaan's graduation ceremony, All about Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding cruise party, Aryan Khan's rare laugh goes viralt: Top 5 entertainment news of the day

Janhvi Kapoor pays visit to her mom Sridevi's favourite place in Chennai, Muppathamman temple, relishes South Indian food - Pics inside

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

Barah x Barah

Marriage.com

Boonie Bears: Mumma Ki...

The Sabarmati Report

Desh Ke Gaddar

Pics; Bhojpuri celebs in pink bikini

Times when Suhana Khan charmed fans at the IPL matches

Janhvi Kapoor transforms into a stunning Punjabi kudi in pink and yellow patiala suit

Kajal Aggarwal looks dazzling in her blue ethnic suit

Recap! Best dressed celebs at Anant Ambani and Radhika merchant first pre wedding celebration

​Shweta Tiwari's casual style diaries inspire everyday elegance​

Kajol stuns in funky party outfit: The ultimate trendsetter

Malavika Mohanan’s stunning pictures

Discovering the Charm of Preethi Asrani

Shruti Haasan's saree looks that will brighten your day

Kartam Bhugtam

Pyar Ke Do Naam

WOMB: Women Of My Billi...

Main Ladega

Luv You Shankar

The Beach Boys

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Thelma The Unicorn

The Three Musketeers - ...

The Garfield Movie

The Boy And The Heron

Kingdom Of The Planet O...

Pagalariyaan

Konjam Pesinaal Yenna

Padikkadha Pakkangal

Inga Naan Thaan Kingu

Uyir Thamizhukku

CID Ramachandran Retd. ...

Sureshanteyum Sumalatha...

Guruvayoorambala Nadayi...

Marivillin Gopurangal

Malayalee From India

Avatara Purusha 2

Chow Chow Bath

Hide And Seek

Somu Sound Engineer

Nayan Rahasya

Bonbibi: Widows Of The ...

Pariah Volume 1: Every ...

Shri Swapankumarer Bada...

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gaddi Jaandi Ae Chalaan...

Buhe Bariyan

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Alibaba Aani Chalishita...

Aata Vel Zaali

Shivrayancha Chhava

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Master Movie Review : It is Vijay & Vijay Sethupathi that make this worthwile.

• Times Of India

Master | Song - Polakatum Para Para (Tamil Ly...

Master - Official Teaser

Master | Kannada Song - Putta Story (Lyrical)

Master | Song Promo - Vaathi Coming

Master | Telugu Song - Master Raid (Lyrical)

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Sabari 207 days ago

Smart Gopal 361 227 days ago

User 15 247 days ago.

this movie is a masterpiece that the movies I've watched. Lokesh Kanakaraju was the best director

bjagadeesh 1 347 days ago

Superb movie ������<br/>Love u THALAPATHY VIJAY ANNA

pk 28 361 days ago

Extraordinary performance and it's super movie and it's all time blockbuster

Visual Stories

12 cute baby names from letter ‘F’

9 types of lies that are unacceptable in marital relationship

​10 animals that can live without food and water for months​

Entertainment

Travel tales: 10 best books around New York city

8 cooling summer foods for dogs

8 best home decor trends right now

12 animals with the most beautiful and expressive eyes

News - Master

Thalapathy Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj's 'Master' to re-...

Did you know that Jaya Bachchan picked up three saris f...

Hrithik Roshan engages in a fun banter with War 2 co-st...

Did you know Mithun Chakraborty had serious insecuritie...

KH 237' makers share a fiery teaser on the occasion of ...

Wizardry unleashed: Anime's top 10 mage masters

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Popular Movie Reviews

Prasanna Vadanam

Tillu Square

Siddharth Roy

Family Star

Aa Okkati Adakku

Om Bheem Bush

Subscribe Now! Get features like

• Latest News

• Entertainment
• Real Estate
• Election News Live
• My First Vote
• Maharashtra SSC Result 2024 Live
• T20 World Cup 2024
• World Cup Schedule 2024
• World Cup Most Wickets
• World Cup Most Runs
• The Interview
• World Cup Points Table
• Web Stories
• Virat Kohli
• Mumbai News
• Bengaluru News
• Daily Digest
• Election Schedule 2024

Master movie review: Vijay delivers a largely entertaining star vehicle

Master movie review: with both vijay and vijay sethupathi in top form, lokesh kanagaraj's film makes for a perfect festival release..

Director - Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast - Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Arjun Das

Lokesh Kanagaraj is fast growing into one of the most exciting filmmakers in Tamil cinema. After proving his mettle with films such as Maanagaram and Kaithi, which worked even though they didn’t feature stars, Master is Lokesh’s maiden attempt at true-blue commercial cinema with one of the industry’s biggest stars, Vijay. He proves himself yet again, even if Master panders to Vijay’s fans more than the director's own.

In spite of some minor flaws, like the long-drawn second half, Master is a largely entertaining Vijay vehicle, anchored by a terrific central performance and an equally good supporting act by Vijay Sethupathi.

Watch the Master trailer here

Master opens with the spotlight on Sethupathi's antagonist, Bhavani, and it sets him up as an almost mythical villain who can kill anyone with a single punch. If you’re wondering how one blow can be so fatal, there’s a nice reason behind it, which makes it believable. The first 15-20 minutes are spent on establishing Bhavani’s character, and the story of how he built his empire with young criminals from a juvenile home. Just when one gets the feeling that Bhavani has almost become almost invincible, in comes JD (Vijay) – a hip, laid-back professor with a drinking problem.

Lokesh leaves his signature in quite a few places, but Master still feels like a Vijay film. Thankfully, it isn’t one where Vijay’s character is screaming heroism – which is the case with most of his movies. We get a very subdued lead character and it’s refreshing to see Vijay deliver a laid-back performance. He plays a guy with a serious drinking problem and it almost feels like Vijay was tipsy even while performing his scenes.

Master does, however, suffer from a heavy Petta hangover. Like Rajinikanth’s last film, Master is also set in a college campus. In both these films, the hero becomes a sort of messiah figure for the students. While there are other similarly themed films from the past, the comparison with Petta makes more sense because it was released recently.

Be it Maanagaram or Kaithi, Lokesh pushed the bar when it came to action. He doesn’t disappoint with the action in Master, but he does slightly go overboard. Possibly because he felt it’s a star film and audiences won’t mind some degree of overindulgence? The pre-climax action stretch, featuring both Vijay and Andrea Jeremiah, is a bit of a downer, especially when you compare it with a similar chase sequence in Kaithi involving lorries.

Nevertheless, both lead actors have ample space to shine, and Sethupathi, in his most effortless self, is once again a treat to watch. The film does dip in the second half and it occasionally gets tiring, but it’s the anticipation of the clash between Bhavani and JD that keeps the film alive. Their final confrontation is worth the wait.

Apart from the terrific screen presence of the two leads, Anirudh Ravichander’s music is one of the reasons why Master, which is the first star-studded release since the pandemic, warrants a visit to the theatre. With his background score and Sathyan Sooryan’s visuals, Master makes for a perfect festival release.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

• Vijay Sethupathi

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Weather Today
• HT Newsletters
• Subscription
• Print Ad Rates
• Code of Ethics

• IPL Points Table
• IPL Orange Cap
• IPL Purple Cap
• World Cup Live Score
• T20 World Cup Schedule
• IPL 2024 Auctions
• Cricket Teams
• Cricket Players
• ICC Rankings
• Cricket Schedule
• T20 World Cup Points Table
• Other Cities
• Income Tax Calculator
• Budget 2024
• Petrol Prices
• Diesel Prices
• Silver Rate
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Taylor Swift: A Primer
• Telugu Cinema
• Tamil Cinema
• Board Exams
• Exam Results
• Competitive Exams
• BBA Colleges
• Engineering Colleges
• Medical Colleges
• BCA Colleges
• Medical Exams
• Engineering Exams
• Horoscope 2024
• Festive Calendar 2024
• Compatibility Calculator
• The Economist Articles
• Lok Sabha Election Live
• Delhi Election 2024 Live
• Odisha Election 2024 Live
• Lok Sabha States
• Lok Sabha Parties
• Lok Sabha Candidates
• Explainer Video
• On The Record
• Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
• EPL 2023-24
• ISL 2023-24
• Asian Games 2023
• Public Health
• Economic Policy
• International Affairs
• Climate Change
• Gender Equality
• future tech
• Daily Sudoku
• Daily Crossword
• Daily Word Jumble
• HT Friday Finance
• Explore Hindustan Times
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription - Terms of Use

Screen Rant

Master review: mariama diallo's debut feature is a striking horror film [sundance].

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Steven Spielberg's New Movie Will Revive A Career-Defining Trend After 10 Years Away & It's Very Exciting

Beetlejuice 2 finally explains a gross detail from lydia’s original wedding scene, thriller with 20% rt score passes domestic box office milestone, now #4 horror movie of the year.

Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature film, Master , sets out to explore the institutional racism in Ivy League universities. Centered on three Black women, a student, a dean, and a professor, the film explores the characters’ experiences navigating such a historic institution and how its unsavory history affects their lives and relationship dynamics. Diallo’s script doesn’t always work, especially as Master gears towards an ending that has a lot going on at once, but the everyday horrors add to the layers of unease that are built into every scene of the film. The combination of supernatural and real-life horror, as well as the cast's solid performances, elevate a film that isn’t so quick to provide answers.

Gail Bishop (an exceptional Regina Hall) is excited about her new position as Ancaster’s, a fictional university in New England, Master (aka, the Dean of students). As the first Black woman to assume the position, Gail is put in uncomfortable situations where her colleagues are casually racist. She shares these experiences with Liv (Amber Gray), a professor who is trying to get tenure despite her limited published work in the eyes of the counsel evaluating her. At the same time, freshman student Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee) is trying to acclimate to life on campus, unsettled by the story of a witch who haunts the very dorm room she’s in.

Related:  Alice Review: Keke Palmer Is Excellent In Messy, Underdeveloped Drama [Sundance]

Diallo knows how to create a deeply disconcerting atmosphere. While there are horror elements sprinkled throughout Master — a hooded figure who seemingly haunts the halls when the lights blink out or a bell ringing in Gail’s new home despite there being no one there — it’s the subtle racism the characters experience that make up the feelings of unease. Jasmine at a party with the predominantly white students loudly singing along to a rap song and brazenly saying the n-word; Gail trying to mingle with her colleagues while on the receiving end of comments comparing her to Barack Obama; the librarian checking Jasmine’s backpack to make sure she didn’t steal any books.

The list goes on and, although Master doesn’t fully capitalize on this buildup in the end, choosing to introduce another layer to Liv’s story in the final moments that feel rushed, Master deftly maneuvers through the characters’ experiences in a way that feels sinister. Even Jasmine’s experiences with Liv are layered, with implications of colorism and holding Jasmine to different standards that make everything all the harder for her to achieve the same success as her peers. Liv, who fails Jasmine’s essay on The Scarlet Letter , is much harder on her than she is on her white students. A revelation that comes later on could explain why that is, but Master maintains a sense of vagueness that will leave the audience pondering every interaction.

Diallo certainly knows how to create atmosphere and the film’s most terrifying moments aren’t even ones that happen in the darkness of night. Master examines how all the microaggressions affect the characters in their daily lives. Jasmine is an outsider not because she’s quiet, but because her classmates’ racism contributes to the feeling of her not belonging. At one point, Diallo intercuts the university's promotional video about diversity (which is so painful considering there really isn’t any at Ancaster) with an intense scene that is meant to drive a message home.

Ancaster, like any other historical institution that is made up of a white majority, can’t contend with its racist past and present because the students and faculty aren’t self-aware enough to understand the issue at all, nor do they seem keen on actively doing anything about it. This blatant ignorance harms Gail, Jasmine, and Liv, all of whom are trying to fit in and prove themselves in one way or another. Can the Ivy League school be changed from within? The film ponders this question, but the answer seems to come in Gail’s final decision, a pertinent scene in Master’s final moments that make for a contemplative finish.

However, there are aspects of the film that don’t feel fully formed. Liv’s backstory is revealed too late in the narrative to have a bigger impact. Master also struggles to balance all three characters at once, with Gail moving to the forefront only after a major shift in Jasmine’s story occurs. The chapters that split the film into different parts could’ve been dropped without losing anything. What’s more, the legend of the witch who haunts Ancaster’s campus ultimately falls flat because nothing really comes of it despite the mystery taking up a decent amount of the film. Despite these issues, Master is a solid debut by Diallo, who knows how to create a deep sense of discontent to elevate the story.

Next:  Am I Ok? Review: Dakota Johnson Charms In Thoughtful Film About Self-Discovery [Sundance]

Master had its premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on March 18. The film is 91 minutes long and is not yet rated.

Our Rating:

• Movie Reviews
• 3.5 star movies

• తెలుగు

Master Review: Lacks the Desired Effect

Movie: Master Rating: 2/5 Banner: XB Film Creators Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Andrea Jeremiah, Arjun Das, and others Music: Anirudh Ravichander Cinematography: Sathyan Sooryan Editor: Philomin Raj Action: Stunt Silva Art: Sathees Kumar Producers: Xavier Britto Written and Direction: Lokesh Kanagaraju Release Date: Jan 13, 2020

Tamil superstar Vijay and another talented Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi acted together for the first time for ‘Master’. This combination has generated expectations since its announcement. Plus, the film is helmed by ‘Khaidi’ fame Lokesh Kanagaraju.

Despite not releasing an official trailer, the film has managed to create hype in the Telugu states for this reason. Let’s find out its merits and demerits. 

Story: JD (Vijay), a drunkard professor conducts the student elections peacefully, teaching the students the importance of polls in a democratic system.

Hailed as a ‘master’, he gets transferred to an observation home for juvenile criminals in Warangal to set things right.

A shocking incident at this home makes him rid of his drinking habit and take on Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi), who created a criminal empire by using these juvenile criminals for his heinous activities.

How JD handles Bhavani forms rest of the story. 

Artistes’ Performances: Vijay oozes style in every frame. In a righteous and a bit mysterious role, he has pulled it off well. Even at the end, his ‘flashback’ remains a mystery but he has convincingly played this part.

It is Vijay Sethupathi, who is known for spotless performance. He made yet another praiseworthy presence. He is excellent as the villain and a perfect foe to the superstar Vijay. His dialogues are peppered with sarcasm. 

Malavika Mohanan doesn’t get much screen time. She doesn’t get a chance to have a proper romantic track or full-length duet with Vijay. Arjun Das as Dasanna is effective.

Technical Excellence: Director Lokesh Kanagaraju is a solid technician, and he extracts, as was shown in his previous films, the best from the technicians. Sathyan Sooryan’s camerawork is splendid.

Anirudh Ravichander’s songs are not impactful, but his background score elevates the mood. He even provided signature music to both Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi.

The action sequences are a major highlight, and they are shot in a superior way. The film is too lengthy; editing could have been crisper. 

Highlights: Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi Certain action blocks

Drawback: College portions No emotional high Excessive fights Climax portions

Analysis Director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s previous film Karthi starrer ‘Khaidi’ won critical acclaim. It was entertaining and intelligently made.

Critics praised his writing and his different approach in narrating stories that focused on the content than the star image. Probably, this was the reason why superstar Vijay had agreed to work with him. 

He has begun the film in his style by introducing Vijay Sethupathi’s character, how he has turned into a shrewd and formidable rowdy in Warangal.

It takes nearly 15 minutes to bring Vijay’s character into the story. Until this time, Lokesh has played to his strength.

Once Vijay appears on the screen, and the story moves to a college drama, the director has lost his grip and balance. The entire stretch of college portions is shot in a lousy manner. The director has completely surrendered to the image of Vijay. 

Luckily, the story comes into the groove once the drama moves to a juvenile observation home with a perfect platform set for the face-off between Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi.

Post-interval, there are two interesting sequences – Vijay meeting Vijay Sethupathi in the most dramatic manner, and pre-climax scene. But, as the film progresses, we get the feeling that the director is trying to put one fight sequence after another to elevate Vijay’s mannerisms, stylish gestures, rather than telling a story.

Despite the action-packed second half, the film ends abruptly, without any high moment. ‘Master’ is entertaining in parts and strong performances from the two lead actors, but due to an unconvincing climax, the desired impact is not made in the end. 

On the whole, ‘Master’ is more of Vijay’s movie than a director’s film. It has style and swag but nothing else. 

Bottom-line: All Style, No Substance

• 'Love Me If You Dare' Review: Complex And Confusing
• Raju Yadav Movie Review: Duck Out
• Krishnamma Review: Revenge Drama

Tags: Master Master Movie Review Master Movie Rating Master Review Master Rating

ADVERTISEMENT

• Movie Schedules
• OTT and TV News

Most Viewed Articles

• Review : Love Me If You Dare – Dull and complicated
• Buzz – Salaar 2 shelved due to creative differences, deets inside
• Mahesh Babu’s new look from Gautam’s convocation goes viral
• Buzz: Prabhas’ Kalki 2898 AD trailer to be out at this time
• Salaar 2: Team puts a checkmark on rumours in style
• Sujeeth – I was supposed to do a remake with Pawan Kalyan Garu before OG
• Script work for the much-awaited sequel is done
• This Telugu film made Kajal Aggarwal sob continuously
• Buzz: NTR to be seen as a protector in Devara
• Anjali – None of the actors are allowed to talk about Game Changer

Recent Posts

• Pushpa 2: Shreya Ghoshal croons a song in 6 languages
• “పుష్ప 2”: ఒక్క సాంగ్.. 6 భాషలు ఒకే సింగర్
• Latest Photos : Athulya Ravi
• Latest Photos : Mallika Sherawat
• “లవ్ మీ” 2 రోజుల వసూళ్లు ఇవే!
• New Photos : Lavanya Tripathi

Release date : January 13, 2021

123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5

Starring : Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Andrea Jeremiah

Director : Lokesh Kanagaraj

Producer : Xavier Britto

Music Director : Anirudh Ravichander

Cinematography : Sathyan Sooryan

Editor : Philomin Raj

Master is one of the most-awaited biggies that has released this Pongal. Touted to be a full-on action entertainer, this film has superstars Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles. Let’s now see how the film is.

JD(Vijay) is a professor who is hated by the college heads. He is a drunkard who does not obey rules. After a big issue, he is sent to a correction center to handle young criminals. On the other hand, the correction center is managed by Bhavani(Vijay Sethupathi) and even cops cannot do anything about it. So, how will JD turn the tables and handle the dreaded Bhavani, and set things right for the youth is the story of Master.

Plus Points:

The setup of the film is good and has scope for Vijay to showcase his mass mania and he does that in full flow. Vijay looks handsome, showcases his body, and also dances superbly in all the songs. Hardcore Vijay fans will have a blast seeing their Master’s performance.

But the star of the film is Vijay Sethupathi. Somehow, his role is etched well by the director, and Vijay Sethuthpathi with his local look handles the role superbly. He has a better edge as his screen presence, and the animosity he creates with the scenes is top class. Whenever he comes on the screen, the audience will enjoy it.

Malavika Mohanan is neat in her key role. The climax fight between the two stars is just amazing and has whistle lowing moments for the fans. The Kabaddi scenes of Vijay, interval bang phone conversation, and Vijay’s intro are quite good in the film. Last but not least Anirudh kills it with his BGM which is superb.

Minus Points:

One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the lack of hero-villain scenes. After seeing the trailers, one gets a feeling that hero and villain confrontation will be in plenty but sadly, that is not the case. Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi only meet in the climax. Their animosity should have been brought in much earlier in the film and more confrontations should have been added.

Also, individually, the scenes are good for both the stars but the story is simple and is not explained well. A correction center overtaken by the villain looks a bit overboard. There is so much lag in the film and at least 20 minutes could have been easily chopped off to make things better.

Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is best at showcasing gritty crime dramas is not at his best. He has done justice to the stars and handled them well but his narration has clearly taken a beating. The film is quite predictable and has nothing new to showcase.

Technical Aspects:

The production values of the film are top-notch. The camerawork is good and the jail setup is showcased in a very realistic manner. Dialogues are good. Dubbing for Vijay Sethupathi does not give the needed effect. The lyrics are neat and so was the production design showcasing the college set up. Music by Anirudh is top class.

Coming to the director Lokesh, he has not brought out the emotions well as Master is quite weak in the emotional aspect. A drunkard Vijay getting a transformation in jail is not showcased well and the emotions shown are weak during this time. Having two biggest stars, Lokesh in a way has wasted a solid opportunity to showcase their confrontations.

On the whole, Master does not live up to the hype and ends as a passable action entertainer. All those who go in wanting to see the star hero and villain tug of war will be disappointed. But fans of Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi will have a blast as the heroes shine in their respective roles. Story-wise, the film is weak, slow, and lengthy. As the festival season is on, the masses will like the film but others should go in with keeping their expectations quite low.

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

Articles that might interest you:

• Review : Raju Yadav – Disappointing romantic drama
• OTT Review: Baahubali: Crown of Blood – Telugu dubbed series on Hotstar
• Review : Miral – A tedious watch
• OTT Review : Vidya Vasula Aham – Telugu movie on Aha
• OTT Review : Fahadh Faasil’s Aavesham – Malayalam film on Prime Video
• OTT Review : Varun Sandesh’s Chitram Choodara – Telugu film on ETV Win
• Review : Krishnamma – Revenge drama that works in parts

Ad : Teluguruchi - Learn.. Cook.. Enjoy the Tasty food

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, a magnificent puzzlement.

Now streaming on:

Paul Thomas Anderson 's "The Master" is fabulously well-acted and crafted, but when I reach for it, my hand closes on air. It has rich material and isn't clear what it thinks about it. It has two performances of Oscar caliber, but do they connect? Its title character is transparently inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, but it sidesteps any firm vision of the cult religion itself — or what it grew into

The Hubbard character, named Lancaster Dodd and played by Philip Seymour Hoffman , is indeed not even the film's most important. Top billing goes to an alcoholic adherent of The Master named Freddie Quell — played by Joaquin Phoenix , who in some ways seems to flow out of the bizarre persona he created during his meltdown, or whatever it was, two years ago.

This Freddie Quell has an unnatural and dangerous taste for booze in all forms. The film opens with him on board a U.S. Navy vessel in the Pacific just as World War II ends. As news of peace comes over the radio, he already has his plans made. He goes directly below deck and begins draining fuel from a torpedo. During the film, he will also create concoctions from paint thinner, coconut water, and something from a medicine cabinet — Lysol, perhaps. After he serves a potentially fatal cocktail to a migrant worker in a California cabbage field, he hastens to San Francisco and stows away on board a seafaring yacht.

This big boat belongs to Lancaster Dodd, introduced as a writer and apparently a rich one. (He later tells Quell: "I am a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist and a theoretical philosopher, but above all, I am a man, a hopelessly inquisitive man, just like you.") He is in the process of founding a group, movement, cult, whatever, named the Cause, and the ship is en route to New York via the Panama Canal. He has been joined on board by many followers who will join Dodd and his wife, Peggy ( Amy Adams ), to celebrate the marriage of their daughter.

When Dodd discovers Quell is on board, his response is not to send him ashore. He finds a strange fascination in this tortured man, who describes himself as an "able-bodied seaman" but seems far from able inside a hunched and fearful body. Dodd seizes upon him as a suitable case for treatment, and there is a mesmerizing scene in which the two lock eyes over a table in the captain's cabin, and Dodd hammers him with questions, repeated over and over again. This is described as "processing," similar to the "auditing" Hubbard described in his book Dianetics.

The film is unclear about Dodd's earlier history and never mentions the science fiction that Hubbard began writing. When we meet Dodd, he is middle-aged, jovial, not above singing jolly tunes and acting the cut-up at parties. In meetings with East Coast followers, especially Helen Sullivan ( Laura Dern ), we see that the Cause has already attracted many recruits — and doubters, including John More ( Christopher Evan Welch ), who stands coldly in a doorway at one meeting and fires hostile questions.

The qualifications or cost for joining the Cause are never made clear, but some kind of fearful discipline seems to be in use, and Freddie Quell is quick to pick fights with those who oppose the man who has given him affection and guidance (and likes the taste of his hooch). Quell drifts in and out of reality, imagining rooms where the women have suddenly become unclothed. When it comes to sex, he has a powerful imagination, which we observe in an early scene where shipmates make a sand sculpture of a naked woman, and he uses it like a love doll to masturbate. (Not recommended.)

All around the film's edges are possibilities that Anderson doesn't explore. What, exactly, does the Cause believe, with its talk of past lives and ingrained prenatal injuries? "He's making it all up as he goes along," says son Val ( Jesse Plemons ). But "The Master" is not an expose, not a historical record of the Cause, Scientology or any other group and not really the story of its characters, who remain enigmatic to the end.

Enigmatic, but far from boring. Phoenix projects a fearsome anxiety as his eyes scan a room; there are flashbacks/fantasies involving a pre-war girlfriend who continued to occupy space in his mind years after she married and had children. There's no sense drinking gives him any pleasure; it medicates something we can only imagine. Hoffman, as Lancaster Dodd, suggests the charisma that a character like Hubbard must have had, and although Scientology has reportedly staged a campaign against "The Master," the film is vague about the Cause.

Why are these two opposites so strongly attracted? You could guess homoeroticism, but there too the movie is vague. Is it that each senses an intriguing challenge to his idea of himself? Always somewhere in the frame is Dodd's wife, Peggy, sweet-faced, calm, never missing a thing, always calmly there when she's needed.

This is the first movie filmed in 65mm (and projected in 70mm, in select markets) since Kenneth Branagh's " Hamlet " (1996). It's a spectacular visual experience. You notice that in particular when Dodd mounts a motorcycle on a huge flat plain and roars into the distance. Then he returns, just as Vincent Gallo did in " The Brown Bunny ," although I doubt this is intended as a homage. "Now you do it," Dodd tells Quell. Quell roars off. Eventually Dodd and companions trudge off under the desert sun in search of him. Whether they find him, I won't say. What the motorcycle demonstrates, I can't say.

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of our great directors. "The Master" shows invention and curiosity. It is often spellbinding. But what does it intend to communicate?

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

Peyton Robinson

Force of Nature: The Dry 2

Sheila o'malley.

Under the Bridge

Cristina escobar.

Back to Black

Mother of the Bride

Marya e. gates.

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Film credits.

The Master (2012)

Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity and language

137 minutes

Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell

Laura Dern as Helen

Christopher Evan Welch as John

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd

Amy Adams as Peggy

Patty McCormack as Mildred

Written and directed by

• Paul Thomas Anderson

Latest blog posts

Cannes 2024 Video #6: Ben Kenigsberg on The Substance, Anora, Emilia Perez, and Napoleon

A Larger Kind of Career: Morgan Spurlock (1970-2024)

Cannes 2024: Armand, The Kingdom, September Says

Cannes 2024 Video #7: Award Winners

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) Review

I t is strange seeing Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga being one of the year’s most anticipated films. Mad Max: Fury Road is a movie that was never supposed to exist. Between being a sequel to a seemingly dead franchise, the decades it spent in development, and the mountains of challenges during the actual production, everything screamed disaster from the start. And yet, by some divine (or hellish) miracle, writer/director George Miller created a work of complete and utter genius. He turned what was essentially one long car chase into a masterpiece of audio-visual storytelling; a combination of expansive world-building, thematic resonance, and some of the most incredible action sequences ever filmed.

But most importantly, Miller introduced the world to one of the most instantly iconic heroines of all time in Charlize Theron ’s Furiosa. To this day, I call it my favourite film of all time. It’s why I felt equal parts excitement and caution when Miller announced Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga , a prequel focusing on the heroine’s origins with Anya Taylor-Joy taking over Theron’s role. Trying to recapture lightning in a bottle a second time would be impossible. Instead, with Furiosa , Miller crafted his own weird, wild rendition of Homer’s Odyssey. Despite a few bumps in the road, it’s an ambitious, sprawling epic that works as a great companion to his previous masterpiece.

The story of Furiosa ( Anya Taylor-Joy ) begins as a child (played for the first hour by Alyla Browne) living among the Vulvalini tribe in the fabled Green Place, a hidden haven of beauty in the midst of the ruthless, post-apocalyptic Wasteland. In the movie’s opening minutes, she is kidnapped by members of the Biker Horde and delivered to the Horde’s charismatic yet psychotic leader, Dementus ( Chris Hemsworth ). Although her mother Mary (Charlee Fraser) makes a valiant attempt to rescue her, Dementus recaptures Furiosa and kills Mary in front of her. This would be the catalyst for Furiosa’s 15-year quest in search of revenge, retribution and, hopefully, her return home.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is divided into five separate chapters told over the course of two and a half hours, which in itself is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows the story to breathe and allows us to take in more of the world-building and the full breadth of Furiosa’s journey. Once again, the film looks incredible, thanks to Simon Duggan’s cinematography and Colin Gibson’s production design. I found myself really invested in the politics and dynamics between the various Wasteland factions, especially when Dementus’ clashes with Fury Road villain Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme, filling in for the late Hugh Keayes-Byrne) come into play.

“When it comes to the action, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga absolutely delivers on the vehicular mayhem that’s defined the franchise for the last 45 years, with bullets, bodies, and bikes flying in equal measure.”

There’s also a moment where Furiosa forms a kinship with a fellow Imperator, Praetorian Jack (Tom Byrne), which allows for a rare but appreciated moment of tenderness. I also loved the little nods not only to Fury Road , but also to the underrated 2015 Mad Max game . On the other hand, the more deliberate pacing doesn’t always work in its favor. A handful of moments in the second half feel like they could have been cut, which is blasphemous to say when it comes to this franchise.

Don’t get it twisted, though: When it comes to the action, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga absolutely delivers on the vehicular mayhem that’s defined the franchise for the last 45 years, with bullets, bodies, and bikes flying in equal measure. There’s an extended chase sequence halfway through the film involving a War Rig that seemingly exists solely for the 79-year-old Miller to remind us he can still find ways to up the ante from what he did in The Road Warrior and Fury Road .

That said, I’m not completely in love with the glossier, more blatantly digital sheen across all the action. There’s still a lot of amazing practical stunt work on display, and the look does fall in line with the flashier, more fantastical tone Furiosa operates in, but it’s also hard not to compare it to how tactile Fury Road felt in comparison, and in that regard, it falls short, but only slightly.

“… Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is every bit an incredible vision of a master at work.”

One of my biggest concerns going in would be the portrayal of Furiosa herself. Thankfully, both Browne and Taylor-Joy knocked it out of the park. Similar to Max in the other films, Furiosa is a woman of few words, which is hilarious that each main character in the franchise is relegated to having the least to say. Browne shows Furiosa as being immensely resourceful despite witnessing traumatic events.

As she grows up to be a hardened warrior, Taylor-Joy lets her expressive eyes do most of the talking, conveying years of pain and silent rage in just one glare. It also maximizes the impact of the moments she does speak. It’s a reserved performance and gives great context to what we eventually know down the line.

That being said, just like how Furiosa stole Fury Road from Max, Dementus steals every scene he’s in from her, thanks to an unhinged, career-best performance from Chris Hemsworth. Suppose Immortan Joe fashions himself like a Norse god. In that case, Dementus sees himself as a post-apocalyptic Julius Caesar, riding through the Wasteland in a chariot driven with a trio of motorcycles. Hemsworth easily flips between delivering hilariously overconfident soliloquies and outright menace, and every bit of it is captivating.

There are times when his performance feels a bit more scenery-chewing than necessary, but it feels emblematic of the chaos and insanity that is the Wasteland, especially when he tones it down during the little glimpses of backstory we do get from him.

Honestly, I don’t love Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga more than Fury Road , but it would be simply unfair to hold it to the unrealistic standard of “Make a better movie than the one I already consider truly perfect”. Divorced from those expectations and as just a stand-alone experience, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is every bit an incredible vision of a master at work. It’s always hard to get invested in prequels, especially when it comes to a series as nebulous as its continuity as Mad Max. But like the title character , Furiosa succeeds where most fail, almost from sheer force of will. That, and some badass cars.

LEGO Discovery Center

Today is a holiday! Business hours may be different today.

Review Highlights

“ The off to the Duplo area , where a mini fort was built, went fishing for ducks and rode a dinosaur. ” in 3 reviews

“ . We haven't yet checked out the workshops or creative clu b spaces ” in 2 reviews

“ Popular activities, - Indoor playground for younger kids - Build cars and test them on ramps and loops with jumps. ” in 3 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

6563 Springfield Mall

Springfield, VA 22150

You Might Also Consider

Potomac Shores Golf Club

14.6 miles away from LEGO Discovery Center

Latoya B. said "My husband and I held my daughter's Sweet 16 here and it was fabulous!!! We planned it out over a year and half ago and had the pleasure to work with Kelsie from the initial meeting until now. She was such a professional and exuded…" read more

in Country Clubs, Golf, Venues & Event Spaces

Steve & Kate’s Camp - Alexandria

6.9 miles away from LEGO Discovery Center

Heather M. said "My 11 yo daughter attended camp the last 2 weeks. She was always disappointed when I picked her up as she wanted to stay longer. She was happy with the activities and food options." read more

in Summer Camps, Day Camps

Kiddie Academy of Alexandria

7.5 miles away from LEGO Discovery Center

Red Y. said "We are moving from Alexandria and one of the hardest things about it has been leaving KA. We joined Kiddie from another highly-rated Alexandria day care and there is really no comparison. Kiddie's facilities, teachers, management,…" read more

in Summer Camps, Child Care & Day Care, Preschools

Amenities and More

About the business.

LEGO Discovery Center offers a highly interactive indoor LEGO play experience where families are free to play, explore, craft, and laugh together. The 32,000-square-foot family attraction features 12 zones to discover, including DUPLO® Park, Building Adventure, Mini World, Imagination Express, Make Your Mini-Figure, Creative Club, Lego Tree of Imagination, The Lego Café, Heroes Adventure, 4D Cinema, The Workshop, and Space Mission. Numerous creative workshops will be planned throughout the year with our brand new team of Master Model Builders led by Andrew. …

Ask the Community

Ask a question

When is the best time to go to beat the crowds?

I do not know the answer, but we went just as the doors opened 10 or 11am? small wait 5 families and wafter 2 hours it was still not crowded on our Saturday.

If we arrive early without a reservation, is there any chance that we'll get in?

I would recommend making a reservation online, if they sell out you may not get in.

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

It's the LEGO Discovery Center! Free parking is available at the mall. The discovery center is located inside Springfield Town Center. We purchased tickets online, days in advance. I highly recommend doing so as they may sell out of tickets if you try to purchase them the day of. Employees are all very welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable, kind, and patient. This place is amazing! So much to do, see, explore, and learn. The kids (and adults) had a wonderful time. Everything is well organized and stations are all clean. We had an amazing time and highly recommend making a visit :D

See all photos from Kimberly J. for LEGO Discovery Center

Imho Very cramped, can't go in and out so you cant leave to shop. Its just a shakedown Parents pay just to enter so spend $90 for 2-3 hours of playtime It's in a very filled mall and its very crowded inside. Simply put there are better ways to spend $100-120 to play with kids. Both parents should not go, one parent is enough I would not recommend this unless you are desperate Finally booking the tickets is another hellish experience with tickets not opening in safari browser Also the cafe.. probably -2 stars and very slow

My kid had fun but the price is too much for the kids it's the same prices for an adult.

When my baby grows up, I'm gonna tell him this was Legoland. For a mall event this is actually a lot of room and a ton of stuff to do even for a one-year-old. Per their description it is a 32,000-square-foot family attraction features 12 zones to discover, including DUPLO® Park, Building Adventure, Mini World, Imagination Express, Make Your Mini-Figure, Creative Club, Lego Tree of Imagination, The Lego Café, Heroes Adventure, 4D Cinema, The Workshop, and Space Mission. My son spent a good two hours in the duplo room building and on the slides and rides. Meanwhile I was trying to figure how to build a Lego car to race. So you can say they have something for all ages. They also show Lego movies in 4d, have workshops, and have an indoor soft zone to play in for those over 3feet tall which is shoe free so bring socks. They also have an impressive Lego exhibit with the DC monuments and national's stadiums . I would say the optimal ages to go to experience everything is about 7-40. You can build your own figures, rockets and cars as well. Admission was about $28 for adults, I think for what you can pay for indoor playgrounds this is well worth it.

See all photos from Sahar R. for LEGO Discovery Center

I recently had another fantastic outing with my brother's family at the LEGO Discovery Center in DC (though it's technically in VA) #bubblyaunty This place is an absolute blast for the entire family. There are plenty of hands-on play opportunities and a wide range of activities to keep everyone entertained. They even have a section with DUPLO for the smallest guest. We had a chance to build our own LEGO figurines, and the best part was that, for a limited time, they allowed us to take our creations home with us - a memorable souvenir that my niece stole from me immediately. The LEGO replicas of DC landmarks throughout the center were truly astonishing. They also experiment with lighting and it makes the whole installation come to life. Overall, it's a must-visit for the families. It combines fun, creativity, and a dash of educational value, making it an ideal outing for kids and adults alike. #bubblytip: Come during the weekday to avoid the crowds

As good as it gets for 3-10 year olds. Lots to do and things to discover. Safe and good parking for the mall.

Large display

Moving Lego people

This place is great for kids of all ages! School-age kids can spend hours and hours here. Meanwhile, there are things for preschool-age kids to enjoy as well. There's a 4D movie theater, soft playground and a interactive ride and more!$30/visit may seem a bit high, so I recommend getting a yearly membership because it would be worth it if you go more than 2 times. There aren't a lot of people between 3-5pm on weekdays. There's a small cafe with limited snacks and food.

See all photos from Eileen G. for LEGO Discovery Center

I couldn't rate the Lego Discovery Center at Springfield any less than a 5, given the joy on my kids' faces upon their first visit. It's not a huge space but there is a lot to keep little builders busy for hours -- copious building stations, some with ramps for sending creations flying, some integrated with virtual components like the space station launch/video game. There are also multiple play spaces (a Duplo room for younger guests, a padded obstacle course for older kids), a "4-D" theater, a small cafe (not a huge menu but decently priced and who needs more decisions in the day?), one ride (a fairly short winding ride that lets you aim and click a wand at various targets along the way to compete for points), and a mini world exhibit that I could spend hours poring over. You get to build a little mini figure upon entry and bring it around to little photo booths. We haven't yet checked out the workshops or creative club spaces. No major complaints -- it does get busy/crowded on weekends, and in my opinion is best for a 5+ crowd. You can bring younger kids and find enough to occupy them if they're tagging along with older siblings, but if I were to bring a 3-year old alone I think we'd run out of things to do pretty quickly. If you have Lego fanatics in the family, consider an annual pass -- holders don't have to reserve a time in advance, can leave and come back during their visit, and also get a cafe and store discount. The discount wasn't working / set up for the attached Lego store in late August when we first went, but was fixed by September. The store still wasn't able to take Lego VIP / Insiders though, so hopefully that's also been fixed since then, since you know you're bound to be "persuaded" by your kids to pick up yet another Lego set. All the staff members were very friendly and able to maintain their composure amongst frenzied crowds of excited kids -- all in all, well worth a visit!

See all photos from Vivian R. for LEGO Discovery Center

Located inside Springfield Town Center, the Lego Discovery Center is a must-try activity if you have kiddos. We did the admission and collectible for $34.99/each. The littlest child in our group (20 months) enjoyed the Duplo land, especially the slide and the Dino carousel. The middle (a 5 year old) liked the 4-D movies; however, with the timing of the shows we were only able to watch two unique ones, ninjago and the police chase. Be prepared to get sprayed with water. The oldest child (age 10) liked the bank laser game. Another highlight was the ride with the shooting game. There is a soft play area too but it gets wild. I, personally, really enjoyed the mini Washington DC, particularly the monuments and landmarks. My son loved the Nats pinball but it stopped working. He also liked the interactive driller in that area. There is also a cafe that serves smoothies, burgers, and other snacks. We really enjoyed ourselves and had a fun packed afternoon and would definitely return.

See all photos from Laura W. for LEGO Discovery Center

10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Our tix were for 4pm but they allowed us to enter at 3:10 and we stayed till closing at 6pm. There are so many things to do here. When you enter you will receive your collectible and begin making a lego person. Everything you need is separated, making it easy to find. There are several attractions +4D movies play every 30 minutes and last about 15 minute each, (my favorite) The realistic visuals with the 3D glasses, fog, and raindrop let's coming out the ceiling were super fun. Kids and adults both will enjoy this. +Workshop happens every hour with a master builder who was super nice and engaging with everyone, he gave our group a challenge to build something they were looking forward to. + "Roller Coaster" as my child called it was short but cute, inside you will play a few games as you ride through and use the wand. +Multiple Lego areas where you can build cars and drive them down ramps etc +Laser room is small but fun, again..we had adults and kids go at the same time +Play area is built similar to the old "fast food" play centers..with a slide & climbing wall (Kids MUST have socks to go inside) +There is an additional area where you create an aircraft and upload it to play a game on a big screen +There is also a section for arts & crafts..we didn't have time to make it to this area in the 3 hours we spent inside! ++ A cafe inside, just in case you get hungry There is really soo much to do here. I would recommend going early, making sure you have socks, and a bag big enough to hold all the goodies you will get!!

See all photos from Alicia R. for LEGO Discovery Center

1 other review that is not currently recommended

GameTruck Howard County / DMV

Sophie S. said "Phenomenal experience for entire family! I'm not sure how I'm going to outdo this for my son's next birthday. He and his friends had a great time and almost certain the parents will be calling you guys for future referrals. Our Game…" read more

in Game Truck Rental, Kids Activities, Laser Tag

Kingstowne KinderCare

1.3 miles away from LEGO Discovery Center

Hayley P. said "Appreciate the caring, attentive staff in Infant Room A. The center director and assistant director were always extremely responsive and helpful during our time there. Our son loved his teachers, and it was so sweet to see him smile…" read more

in Child Care & Day Care, Summer Camps, Preschools

Collections Including LEGO Discovery Center

NOVA Fun 101😎

By Ankush K.

People Also Viewed

Flight Adventure Park - Springfield

BeeHive Indoor Playground

Super Awesome & Amazing

Scramble Indoor play

Juniors Playland

Healthy Fun One Adventure Park

Jolly Yolly Kids

Hot Wheels Champion Experience

Best of Springfield

Things to do in Springfield

Browse Nearby

Trampoline Parks

Things to Do

Indoor Playgrounds

Other Kids Activities Nearby

Find more Kids Activities near LEGO Discovery Center

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Masters of the Universe: Revolution

Teela joins forces with He-Man and the other Masters in their quest to save Eternia from the grip of darkness. Teela joins forces with He-Man and the other Masters in their quest to save Eternia from the grip of darkness. Teela joins forces with He-Man and the other Masters in their quest to save Eternia from the grip of darkness.

• Melissa Benoist
• Liam Cunningham
• Mark Hamill
• 51 User reviews
• 18 Critic reviews

• Queen Marlena

• Motherboard

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Meg Foster who played Evil-Lyn in the 1987 Masters Of The Universe film voices the Motherboard character.
• Connections Follows He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)

User reviews 51

• DarkVulcan29
• Feb 14, 2024
• How many seasons does Masters of the Universe: Revolution have? Powered by Alexa
• January 25, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Official Netflix
• Mattel Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 25 minutes
• Dolby Digital

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

• Entertainment
• Celebrities
• Ticket Sales
• Promoted: What to Watch on Prime Video

Recommended

Johnny Oleksinski

‘atlas’ review: just what jennifer lopez needs — another flop.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

Running time: 118 minutes. Rated PG-13 (strong sci-fi violence, action, bloody images and strong language). On Netflix.

It’s hard to tell if Jennifer Lopez has a talent agent — or a blindfold and a dartboard.

Her projects over the past year have been that random — from her Dunkin’ Donuts ad in which alleged husband Ben Affleck became a rapper, to her campy musical film “This Is Me … Now: A Love Story” that co-starred Jane Fonda and Post Malone as zodiac signs.

None of it has made a lick of sense.

In a modern world that’s obsessed with staying on brand, J.Lo’s brand is more like Newman’s Own — she’s got salad dressing and pet food.

Which brings me to “Atlas,” her Netflix science fiction meh-pic that’s a totally uninspired rip-off of “The Terminator” and “Battlestar Galactica.” 

What is she doing in it?

Lopez plays a socially awkward scientist and chess master named Dr. Atlas Shepherd, who must chase down a robot terrorist hiding out on a distant planet where trees look like traffic cones.

I know. This wasn’t on my bingo card either.

Instead of Skynet and Cylons, Lopez’s character says “AI” over and over again in a doomed quest for relevance.

Artificial intelligence — which here, for the most part, means androids — rose up and killed 3 million people. Twenty-eight years later, humanity is still searching for Harlan (Simu Liu), the machines’ nuts-and-bolts leader who led the devastating revolt.

Atlas (another stressed-out and irritated role for Lopez) tracks down Harlan, whom she knew when she was a little girl and her mother helped develop this technology, to a faraway planet. She then accompanies the military on a journey through space to capture him.

What she and director Brad Peyton fail to capture is the viewer’s attention.

Like most of Netflix’s films outside of awards season, “Atlas” is a sluggish afterthought that settles for being just short of OK.

The movie unearths nothing new in what is a very old story of man’s touch-and-go relationship with technology. It not so boldly goes where “Star Trek” has gone many times before.

The filmmakers attempt to contribute some novelty with a controversial neural link device that connects people with AI to improve efficiency. That idea, while intriguing, is muddled and poorly explained. A program adapting to say “s–t!” isn’t exactly Isaac Asimov-level insight.

Even when looked at through the lens of blow-’em-up action, the film’s a fizzle. Once she lands on the planet, Atlas straps into a giant walking robot — think the one Ripley uses at the end of “Aliens” — and lumbers off to an escape ship.

So a big chunk of the movie is just Lopez seated and encased in metal as she shouts at a Siri-like computer named Smith. The ancient idea here is that this embittered, distrusting woman starts to see that not all artificial intelligence is inherently evil.

Sounds like Sarah Connor to me.

While Lopez’s star power and raw appeal are palpable as ever, that’s not enough to flesh out a guilt-ridden, self-loathing genius whose intellect is key to humanity’s survival.

The dismal writing does her no favors, true, but she’s the sort of actress who can save “The Wedding Planner” — not Earth.

Share this article:

Advertisement