Jasper Mall
Directed By: Bradford Thomas and Brett Whitcomb
Rated: PG
There’s something about the state of nearly abandoned malls that I’ve always found eerily fascinating. Something that once served as a bustling epicenter for social shoppers now sits in slow decay as a few stores hold on and wait to see if they’ll make it. There are a few of these empty malls in my town that I enjoy visiting for the sake of nostalgia. These are places from my childhood that I distinctly remember being packed with people. There were movie theaters, food courts, Friday night’s out at Claire’s and Limited Too. The mall was a significant part of my life. Mainly because it was how you socialized before social media was a thing, it seems like every year that passes; another mall falls into the twilight zone of empty hallways and desolate storefronts. Now they’ve been overtaken by the age of Amazon.
In an ironic twist of fate, Amazon Prime picked up the documentary Jasper Mall, which explores the phenomenon of a once-bustling mall in Jasper, Alabama, now slowly fading into obscurity. Filmmakers Bradford Thomas and Brett Whitcomb craft a genuinely engaging documentary by taking the viewer on a one-year journey of the mall and the people keeping it alive.
What struck me about this documentary is how it focuses on the everyday lives of the community surrounding the Jasper Mall. This includes two local high school students, the store employees, customers, and the security guard. As the audience, we learn about the people who love this mall and what still brings them there despite its financial decline. A particular standout is mall security guard/former zookeeper, Mike McClelland whose accent seems to change every time he’s interviewed. Mike takes his job seriously and won’t give up on the mall, frequently remarking on its more successful years. Even when stores shut down, there is an outpouring of support from the community’s loyal customers who are sad to see their friend’s businesses close.
In a world upended by a pandemic, the future of malls is more uncertain than ever. It’s a sad truth for those of us who long for the simplicity of an afternoon at the mall. Jasper Mall is a fascinating documentary exploring the ups and downs of a community that cling to their deteriorating local mall while the age of online shopping sends it hurdling into obscurity.