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Ferris Wheel

Name: Ferris Wheel
Director: Julien Hosmalin
Released: 2026
Duration: 93 min

Representation Score

4.8/10

Fair

2026

Director

Julien Hosmalin

Runtime

93 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Ferris Wheel centers a traveling fair family led by a single mother, with actors of North African descent in the lead roles. This gives the film meaningful racial and cultural texture. The adult narrative, however, is driven almost entirely by the two brothers. Women recede into supporting roles, and no LGBTQ+ characters appear, narrowing the scope of representation. Dario’s enduring silence after captivity is handled with weight, offering a grounded portrayal of trauma. Overall, the film delivers focused diversity in its leads but remains limited in gender and queer inclusion.

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Category Breakdown

Does Ferris Wheel have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

No LGBTQ+ characters appear in the narrative. The story concentrates on the bond between two brothers and their mother, leaving queer identities entirely absent from the fairground community.

How does Ferris Wheel portray gender?

Fair

Maria anchors the family as a single mother, yet the adult plot revolves around her sons. Women remain peripheral, with Julia and other female figures serving only supporting roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ferris Wheel?

Good

Lead roles for the brothers and their captor go to actors of North African descent. This centers characters of color in a drama about trauma, family, and survival.

How does Ferris Wheel represent religion and culture?

Fair

The traveling fair setting frames a distinct, non-traditional community. Themes of vengeance and forgiveness unfold within this close-knit, marginalized world rather than mainstream institutions.

Does Ferris Wheel include disability representation?

Limited

Dario’s lasting silence after captivity shapes his character and the plot. His trauma is treated as a serious, enduring condition rather than a temporary narrative device.

Present on Screen

Strong lead roles for actors of North African descent.
A single mother who successfully raises her sons alone.
Trauma depicted realistically through a character’s lasting silence.

Limited or Absent

No visible LGBTQ+ characters or relationships.
Adult narrative focuses exclusively on male protagonists.
Limited depth for female characters beyond the mother figure.

Official Synopsis

Maria raises her two sons, Ryan and Dario, on her own. The three of them run the shooting stand at a small traveling fair. After a motorcycle ride with his older brother, Dario disappears and remains missing. It’s only the next day that he reappears—injured and completely silent... Twenty years later, after their mother’s death, the two brothers reunite. Dario has rebuilt his life in Canada, while Ryan stayed behind in Ferris Wheel, surviving off the stand and small-time hustles. Dario rediscovers this forgotten world of the fairground and the family it harbors. But one night, among Ryan’s circle, he unexpectedly comes face to face with one of his former captors. From that moment on, the two brothers must grapple—with vengeance on one side, and forgiveness on the other...

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