REVIEW: MASTER

 MASTER: WTF is this movie about?... other than the obvious: racism. This is what happens when theme trumps story. There are so many scenes that are pure race buzz words that don't push the story forward because there is no story. Just theme. And theme is not enough to make this a good script.
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All the QTNA:
--What do the chapters mean?
--What's the inciting Incident? Jasmine arriving at the school?
--What are we tracking? The witch choosing Jasmine? Why do we care? What she's researching about the witch isn't even similar to what Jasmine is going through. What is she learning to help herself survive? Whatever happened to the witch???
-- Can't begin to tell you what Regina Hall's character is trying to accomplish though it's her face all over the posters as if it's her story. Why is she seeing things now? It's not her first year on this campus. 
--What're the rules? What causes them to see the things they see? Why is the Black Cafeteria Lady mean towards Jasmine? How does it make sense for the story outside of a layer of the theme about black people drinking the Kool-Aid so much that they, too, become anti-black?
--How do the maggots add to the suspense? Are we to believe that someone or something is putting them there? If so, why? What does it mean? Death? Is it a omen?
--Is the room the problem... cause Amelia lives there as well and she isn't having bad dreams. What're the rules? The problem loses weight if Jasmine isn't special.
-- Who keeps turning the lights out?
-- Who is the figure in the hoodie if the witch only comes out once/year? WHAT ARE THE RULES????
-- Why would the witch burn a cross? Or are we to believe the students did it? Is the problem the witch or the students? How is what the students are doing to Jasmine ultimately help the witch choose Jasmine? 

The film is trying so hard to be spooky that the math ain't mathing. There were several moments when I literally yelled out loud in anger: WHAT IS GOING ON??? 

It's just another film about black trauma for the sake of black trauma. Note to filmmakers: There's enough trauma in our everyday lives. Who asked you for this????!!! Learn to say: NO.

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AUTHOR

Shannan E. Johnson is a former creative executive at The Syfy Channel turned CEO + Head Consultant of The Professional Pen, a script consultancy that develops screenwriters from idea to pitch to become more confident storytellers ready for a professional screenwriting career, and consults with scripted development teams at entertainment companies to streamline their notes process to get to pre-production more efficiently.