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Cult Girls

Name: Cult Girls
Director: Mark Bakaitis
Released: 2019
Duration: 83 min

Representation Score

6.5/10

Good

2019

Director

Mark Bakaitis

Runtime

83 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Cult Girls stands out by replacing traditional Western religious and familial structures with pagan, mythological frameworks. The film's strength lies in its cultural deconstruction and its focus on female-driven investigative arcs. While the narrative successfully avoids many mainstream cinematic clichés through its use of Baltic mythology, it lacks specific evidence regarding LGBTQ+ or disability representation. The focus remains primarily on the psychological fallout of religious isolation and the protagonist's personal journey. Ultimately, the film offers a meaningful departure from traditionalist morality, providing a unique perspective through its embrace of non-Western spiritualism and matriarchal hierarchies.

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Category Breakdown

Does Cult Girls have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film emphasizes sibling bonds and pagan mythology rather than non-straight relationships. Themes of reincarnation allow for identity fluidity, but there is no clear depiction of LGBTQ+ characters taking active roles.

How does Cult Girls portray gender?

Good

The story centers on women's experiences and women's ability to drive the story. Dalia drives the plot through a personal quest, disrupting typical horror clichés by focusing on women within a goddess-led hierarchy.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Cult Girls?

Good

By using Baltic mythology, the film moves away from Anglo-Saxon folklore. While specific character races are unconfirmed, the use of non-Western spiritual frameworks provides a moderate boost to diversity.

How does Cult Girls represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film subverts traditional Western religious institutions by centering a pagan, apocalyptic cult. It replaces standard societal norms with a subjective, mythological morality centered on ancient spiritual frameworks.

Does Cult Girls include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with visible or invisible disabilities. No information is available to assess this category.

Present on Screen

Centering women's ability to drive the story and the emotional journeys of women within a matriarchal hierarchy.
Effective cultural subversion by utilizing Baltic mythology instead of standard Western folklore.
Deconstruction of traditional religious and societal norms through a pagan, apocalyptic lens.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit representation or active roles for LGBTQ+ characters.
Absence of visible or invisible disability representation within the narrative.
Uncertainty regarding the specific racial identities of the character archetypes.

Official Synopsis

Dalia and her two young sisters grow up in a pagan apocalyptic cult led by an ancient Baltic goddess of death and reincarnation. On the night of an important cult ritual, a police raid rescues Dalia as cult members flee with her two sisters. Years later, as the guilt eats away at her, Dalia finds a potential link to the cult through a prominent and despised black metal artist sequestered in the woods. Dalia journeys to find her sisters but her quest for the truth becomes a descent into Hell.

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