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What's in the Darkness

Name: What's in the Darkness
Director: Wang Yichun
Released: 2016
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

3.5/10

Limited

2016

Director

Wang Yichun

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

What's in the Darkness is a localized crime drama that explores the tension between individual trauma and institutional structures. Set in 1991, it uses a specific historical moment to examine how systemic failures affect a small community. The film successfully challenges traditional masculine authority by portraying law enforcement figures as vulnerable fathers. It also centers the narrative on female victimization and the lived experiences of women. However, it lacks breadth in its representation of identity, excluding LGBTQ+ narratives and characters with disabilities.

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Category Breakdown

Does What's in the Darkness have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. It focuses on a crime involving sexual violence without exploring non-straight relationships.

How does What's in the Darkness portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on the victimization of female students, emphasizing their lived experiences. It challenges traditional masculine authority by showing fathers as vulnerable rather than infallible.

How racially and ethnically diverse is What's in the Darkness?

Fair

The cast is culturally homogeneous, reflecting its specific regional Chinese setting. However, it offers a non-Western perspective on social order and crime dynamics.

How does What's in the Darkness represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques state institutions by framing protagonists as both law enforcers and victims. It prioritizes human trauma over idealized social or legal order.

Does What's in the Darkness include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters navigating physical, neurodivergent, or mental health disabilities within the narrative.

Present on Screen

Highlights the vulnerability of law enforcement figures as fathers.
Focuses on the lived experiences of women in the narrative.
Provides a non-Western perspective on crime and social order.

Limited or Absent

Does not include LGBTQ+ characters or narratives.
Does not represent characters with physical, mental, or neurodivergent disabilities.
Maintains a culturally homogeneous cast without diverse identity exploration.

Official Synopsis

In the summer of 1991, a rape case broke the peace of a small town. The fathers of two girls in the local middle school were the policemen in charge of the case.

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