Jasper Mall (Bradford Thomason/Brett Whitcomb, 2020, USA)

Jasper Mall is a 2020 documentary directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb. The film's titular subject is the Jasper Mall, a dying mall in Jasper, Alabama. For those who grew up in the 1980s and 90s, the mall was a lively social space. Many have seen these malls—with few exceptions—turn into skeletons of what they once were, particularly with the disappearance of large anchor stores to drive traffic. The Internet has brought new light to this phenomenon, with numerous explorations on YouTube of dead or dying malls, along with explorations of these malls. This has coincided with the "liminal space" phenomenon on the Internet and the popularity of the vaporwave aesthetic.

While the reasons for the death of the American mall are manifold, Thomason and Whitcomb are not so interested in the broader dynamics of why these malls - or the Jasper Mall in particular - are failing. Instead, they seek to explore the daily life of this particular mall. Our center is Mike McClelland, a former zookeeper who works as the mall's superintendent. Mike is an affable figure with a clear commitment to the mall and its patrons. We are rooting for him throughout the film.

The rest of the figures we encounter are related to the mall or more liminal. Some move away, while others die. Some close up their shops for good, or to move to areas with more business. Jasper Mall is beautifully shot and captures something of the aesthetics of these dying American bastions. While it may leave some viewers unfulfilled, Jasper Mall is more of a mood piece than anything else. It presents a "slice of life" of American decline in a poetic manner, while at the same time showing the people who keep these places running against all odds. Jasper Mall still is running today.

7/10