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Dirty Computer

Name: Dirty Computer
Director: Emma Westenberg, Lacey Duke, Alan Ferguson, Andrew Donoho, Chuck Lightning
Released: 2018
Duration: 49 min

Representation Score

9.9/10

Excellent

2018

Not Rated

Director

Emma Westenberg, Lacey Duke, Alan Ferguson, Andrew Donoho, Chuck Lightning

Runtime

49 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Dirty Computer is a sophisticated, experimental anthology that uses a science-fiction lens to celebrate non-conformity. By framing underrepresented identities as 'glitches' within a totalitarian digital landscape, the film turns systemic errors into symbols of liberation and joy. The work excels in its multi-layered approach, particularly in how it weaves Blackness and queer identity into the core of its resistance against a standardized regime. It successfully deconstructs traditional hierarchies by centering those who exist outside societal norms. While the film is a powerhouse for racial and LGBTQ+ representation, it is slightly less explicit regarding physical or sensory disabilities. Nevertheless, its thematic use of the 'glitch' provides a meaningful, if metaphorical, connection to neurodivergence.

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Category Breakdown

Does Dirty Computer have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film celebrates queer joy and bodily autonomy as acts of resistance. It goes beyond simple inclusion by making non-cisgender identities and same-sex relationships central, positive elements of the story.

How does Dirty Computer portray gender?

Excellent

The anthology challenges traditional gender roles by focusing on characters who reject conventional masculine or feminine social expectations. It prioritizes lived experiences that go beyond the gender binary.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Dirty Computer?

Excellent

With a predominantly Black cast, the film explores the intersection of Blackness and queer identity. It uses the 'glitch' metaphor to highlight how systemic structures try to erase Black bodies.

How does Dirty Computer represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story critiques Western institutions and state mechanisms as oppressive. It emphasizes individual identity and subjective morality over a standardized social order.

Does Dirty Computer include disability representation?

Good

The 'glitch' metaphor symbolizes neurodivergence and bodily non-conformity. However, explicit depictions of physical or sensory disabilities are less prominent compared to the focus on race and sexuality.

Present on Screen

Celebrates queer joy and non-cisgender identities as central narrative elements.
Focuses on the intersection of Blackness and queer identity in resistance against a standardized regime.
Uses science fiction metaphors effectively to critique systemic oppression.

Limited or Absent

Depictions of physical or sensory disabilities are less prominent compared to other identity explorations.

Official Synopsis

The story of a young woman named Jane 57821, who is living in a totalitarian near-future society where citizens are referred to as 'computers.' 'Dirty Computer' explores humanity and what truly happens to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness when mind and machines merge, and when the government chooses fear over freedom.

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