Sundance 2022

I enjoyed “Master” for the most part. The movie tackled matters of racism and colorism within a predominantly white university setting, and the witch story added a supernatural element that enhanced the effectiveness. Mariama Diallo does an excellent job of building tension from the outset. Regina Hall plays the first black headmaster at the University, and Zoe Renee plays one of only a few black students. Each faces a barrage of micro-aggressions from the other faculty and students, and both Hall and Renee are exceptional as parallel leads. The final act of the story doesn't come together in a satisfying way. The film abandons the witch backstory altogether, and another plot aspect ends extremely abruptly. Although there are some surprising revelations in the finale, it doesn't quite live up to the promising first two-thirds of the story. 

— 3 / 5 ⭐