Junebug The Goat

First of all, this is a gorgeous film, production wise. It is essentially a masterclass in how to properly light dark skin for the camera. The composition of each shot is so carefully executed, making a skillful use of the rule of thirds, and all of the dolly shots and pans are incredibly smooth. And of course, the actors are amazing. However, I feel that people really need to make sure they fully understand a film before posting reviews. This film is not a jump scare heavy slasher. It's psychological horror, meaning that the scary part should come from the themes, not necessarily specifically what's happening on screen. It's about what the film is implying, which is that the world seems to think they've made significant progress on the topic of racism, when in reality, the same things are still happening, just in a different way. This film dives into the life of a nanny who was brought over from Senegal, separated not only from her home, but also from her beloved son, who she is working hard to bring to America to be with her. The majority of the references to African mythology and lore have to do with the spirits reaching out to tell the main character something that she has known all along, but is suppressing. This is where the theme of water comes in. The film is depicting a mother's intuition, in that the main character knows something is off with the situation regarding her son, but chooses to ignore every red flag in the name of keeping a positive headspace. The film dives into racism and how the white parents do not value the nanny at all or even see her as a human being, which is shown mainly by their blatant disregard for her personal life, and the constant repetition of how Africa is savage with little to no civilization and how the food is spicy. There are consistent microaggressions littered throughout the protagonist's interactions with these parents that make it blatantly obvious how they feel about her. Not to mention, the film follows similar techniques from the French New Wave of the 1960's, particularly from the work of Ousmane Sembene, which is specifically targeting the prejudices of the French towards Africans at the time. Jusu did a great job of showing us how to improve upon the reference material without destroying the essence of it. This film specifically references Sembene's film, Black Girl (1966), taking those same ideals from Black Girl and applying them to modern day, showing the audience just how much has NOT changed over time. Now, if you read all that, go watch it again through an educated lens.