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After Earth

Name: After Earth
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Released: 2013
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

1.5/10

Minimal

2013

PG-13

Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

After Earth stands out for featuring a central Black father-son duo in a high-stakes science fiction setting, which enhances racial representation in a traditionally Eurocentric genre. However, the film's adherence to patriarchal hierarchies and conventional narrative structures limits its progressive impact. The absence of strong female characters and non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities keeps the film within a traditional framework.

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Category Breakdown

Does After Earth have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The story focuses exclusively on straight relationships and traditional gender roles, emphasizing the biological connection between a father and his son.

How does After Earth portray gender?

Minimal

The film follows a traditional masculine hierarchy where women have little influence on the main storyline focused on survival.

How racially and ethnically diverse is After Earth?

Excellent

The film centers around a Black lead character who plays a crucial role in the story, breaking the trend of predominantly white casts in science fiction and post-apocalyptic genres.

How does After Earth represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story upholds traditional Western values of discipline and hierarchy, emphasizing duty and the preservation of family lineage over social critique.

Does After Earth include disability representation?

Minimal

The film addresses physical injuries and trauma but does not feature characters with permanent disabilities or neurodivergent perspectives.

Present on Screen

The film centers a Black father-son duo in a high-stakes science fiction setting, challenging white-centric genre trends.
The lead characters play a significant role in the core human survival story.

Limited or Absent

The narrative relies on a traditional masculine hierarchy with minimal female influence.
The film lacks representation of non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities or queer perspectives.
There is no significant portrayal of characters with permanent disabilities or neurodivergent perspectives.

Official Synopsis

One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind's new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai's craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.

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