You are here:

Last and First Men

Name: Last and First Men
Director: Jóhann Jóhannsson
Released: 2020
Duration: 72 min

Representation Score

3.1/10

Limited

2020

Director

Jóhann Jóhannsson

Runtime

72 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Last and First Men operates as a meditative, non-narrative essay rather than a character-driven drama. Given its reliance on archival footage, it cannot be assessed using standard metrics like the Bechdel test or intentional casting for specific identities. Its impact lies in its deconstruction of history. By using mid-century imagery, it challenges the narrative of unstoppable Western progress, viewing human structures as ephemeral artifacts within a cosmic cycle. Though it does not actively represent underrepresented groups, it avoids reinforcing homogeneous norms by stripping historical figures of their original power and presenting them in an indifferent, elegiac framework.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Last and First Men have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict any LGBTQ+ identities, character arcs, dialogue, or interpersonal relationships. It is an experimental essay film without such elements.

How does Last and First Men portray gender?

Fair

Due to its non-narrative structure, traditional gender hierarchies are not applicable. Instead, it reinterprets mid-20th-century archival footage to challenge historical gendered authority.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Last and First Men?

Fair

Representation is a result of using mid-20th-century newsreel archives and not intentional casting. The film presents all human efforts as subject to inevitable cosmic decay.

How does Last and First Men represent religion and culture?

Good

The work critiques human arrogance and the perceived permanence of Western institutions. It portrays industrial and technological progress as fleeting when compared to the vastness of deep time.

Does Last and First Men include disability representation?

Minimal

Since the film relies on archival montages, there are no specific characterizations of disability or neurodivergence to evaluate.

Present on Screen

Disrupts the traditional authority of historical figures through postmodern recontextualization.
Challenges the narrative of linear, unstoppable human and imperialist progress.
Provides a cosmic perspective that views all human endeavors as equally transient.

Limited or Absent

Lacks intentional, progressive casting or identity-driven narratives.
Does not offer active representation of LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent identities.
Relies on historical archives reflecting mid-20th-century social norms.

Official Synopsis

As the end approaches inexorably, the last humans, living millions of years into the future, send a message to the humanity of the present that is both a plea for help and a warning, but also an epic tale of evolution, decline and hope.

How are these scores produced? →