New Showbiz

You are here:
Piercing

Piercing

2019

R

Director

Nicolas Pesce

Runtime

82 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

After kissing his wife and baby goodbye for a seemingly normal business trip, Reed checks himself into a hotel room to accomplish something he’s always dreamed of: the perfect murder. As his sinister plans unfold, he soon realizes he might be in over his head with a mysteriously unhinged call girl named Jackie.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.2/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The film focuses entirely on a heterosexual, transactional relationship. It explores non-normative sexual fixations but does not engage with queer identities or critique heteronormativity.

Gender Representation

Good

The narrative subverts traditional gender hierarchies through a fluid, transactional power struggle. The female protagonist maintains high agency, while the male lead's lack of dominance destabilizes conventional masculine control.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The story is driven by a largely homogeneous cast of white protagonists. It lacks diverse ethnic perspectives or color-blind casting, maintaining a narrow demographic focus.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The film excels by using moral relativism to frame deviant behaviors as a pursuit of personal liberation. It challenges Western institutional views on bodily autonomy and social order.

Disability Representation

Fair

The protagonist exhibits neurodivergent-coded traits, such as obsessive-compulsive patterns. These drive the thriller elements without falling into the trap of redemptive or uplifting disability tropes.

Strengths

  • Subverts traditional gender hierarchies by granting the female protagonist significant agency.
  • Challenges Western social orders through a sophisticated use of moral relativism.
  • Avoids 'inspiration porn' by presenting psychological complexities without redemptive arcs.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, focusing on a largely homogeneous cast.
  • Provides no representation or engagement with LGBTQ+ identities.
  • Uses neurodivergent traits primarily as plot catalysts rather than lived experiences.

AI Analysis

Piercing is a psychological thriller that prioritizes the deconstruction of social and moral norms over demographic breadth. It succeeds in subverting traditional gender roles and challenging institutional views on consent and autonomy through a lens of moral relativism. However, the film is limited by its narrow focus. The cast is largely homogeneous, and the narrative lacks any engagement with LGBTQ+ identities or diverse ethnic perspectives. While it avoids common disability tropes, it uses neurodivergent traits primarily as plot devices rather than exploring lived experiences. Ultimately, the film is a character-centric study of psychological fragmentation that trades broad social representation for a deep, albeit narrow, exploration of individual deviance.

How are these scores produced? →

Featured in

  • Best Religious & Cultural Representation in Film

Similar Movies

Movie poster for Wounds

Wounds

2019

No user ratings available yet
Diversity score: 5.4 out of 10

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.