Horror has always been a very political genre and in the last decade especially, horror films with a deeper sociopolitical meaning have taken the forefront when it comes to popularity and critical success. Whether it's The Purge series providing commentary on extreme politics and the political divide, or Jordan Peele's Get Out making bold statements on racism, these films are known for taking political topics and turning them into horror movies.
Part of the beauty of these films is that while the political commentary is there for those who want something thought-provoking, they can also just be watched as any other horror movie. The messages are told with subtext and visual metaphors, not with overly obvious dialogue or plot points. This isn't done to diminish what the message is trying to say but to enhance it by making the film more engaging and accessible. It also just adds to the quality, as it can help these messages stop appearing cheesy.
As political issues become the forefront of conversations and more people are using film as a medium for these messages, there are bound to be a few that don't work. Because woke horror is tricky to pull off well, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with the genre. Being too on the nose is a very common way to make a woke horror attempt seem cheesy and badly written. Another thing that can go wrong is a lack of real horror elements, and too much overt social commentary. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens with Amazon Prime's well-made but poorly advertised Master.
The plot of Master is very intriguing. It focuses on the experiences of three Black women in a college that is historically very white. It's also located in New England and is well-known for its association with the witch trials. While the women are living the experience of a minority person in any space and the everyday discrimination that comes with that, there is more at play at Ancaster. That being, potential supernatural forces that are more powerful than just the microaggressions of the public.
The existence of racism, sexism, and general discrimination is of course horrifying. They're realistic horrors that millions of people have to deal with on a daily basis, and Master portrays these real-life horrors in a very believable way. Many times throughout the film these microaggressions, along with more overt racism, are shown very effectively. It's enough to make the viewing experience quite thought-provoking and uncomfortable, even a little disturbing. With that being said, Master needs more horror elements to push it over the edge.
These elements make Master a great dark drama. It's competently shot, well-acted, and for the most part, has good story progression. The ending gets a little messy, but it's still largely effective. However, it boasts itself as a very scary horror film. And when it comes to the horror elements, it kind of drops the ball. There are some paranormal elements that they try to put in there, with mentions of witches and generational curses, but the emphasis is not on that. Those scenes and moments are few and far between, with the focus instead being placed on the aforementioned dramatic elements.
None of these criticisms would matter too much save for the fact that the advertising is way off base. The posters definitely make it seem as though Master will be a very scary horror movie, and the trailer does this even more so. It looks like a pure ghost story, with sociopolitical commentary as the subtext. Instead, viewers get the reverse. Master is a sociopolitical drama with minor horror elements, advertised as a pure horror film. This sets the film up for failure because viewers did not get what was advertised to them.
So far, reviews of Master are mixed leaning negative. While some critics have been enjoying the film, audiences have not. It's impossible to tell what would be different if the advertising wasn't so misleading, but it's hard not to wonder if that is what's informing some of these negative opinions. Because as a film itself, as a dark drama with some spooky moments, is certainly not bad. As horror sites and magazines and content creators get ahold of it though, they aren't getting what was promised to them. It's impossible to blame people for being unhappy with a film for not being what they wanted it to be, but it is disappointing because Master is otherwise important and impactful. Not everything about it is amazing and perfect, but it's better than the 44% audience score it's currently getting.