You are here:

Facing It

Name: Facing It
Director: Sam Gainsborough
Released: 2018
Duration: 8 min

Representation Score

5.3/10

Fair

2018

Director

Sam Gainsborough

Runtime

8 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Facing It is a focused character study that prioritizes the internal psychological landscape of its protagonist. It succeeds in validating the experience of social alienation and the friction felt by those who do not fit into normative social structures. The film's primary strength lies in its depiction of neuroatypicality and the complexities of mental health. By centering on Shaun's struggle to navigate a busy, overwhelming environment, it provides a nuanced look at individual isolation. However, the film lacks multi-layered breadth. It does not explicitly engage with broader identity politics, such as queer identity or racial diversity, leaving the social scope of the world largely undefined.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Facing It have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film explores internal desires and non-traditional emotional expressions. However, it lacks explicit evidence of storytelling centered around LGBTQ+ identities.

How does Facing It portray gender?

Fair

Shaun disrupts traditional male social competency by failing to navigate the expected social ease of his environment. The impact on broader gender hierarchies remains unclear.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Facing It?

Minimal

The narrative provides no information regarding the racial or ethnic composition of the protagonist or the pub crowd. There is no basis for assessment.

How does Facing It represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques the performative nature of social cohesion and communal joy. It prioritizes individual psychological truth over the stability of traditional social institutions.

Does Facing It include disability representation?

Good

The film offers a meaningful portrayal of neurodivergence or invisible mental health struggles. Shaun’s isolation and sensory struggles provide him with a significant role in driving the story.

Present on Screen

Provides a meaningful and empathetic portrayal of neurodivergence and invisible mental health struggles.
Effectively challenges the performative nature of social cohesion and communal happiness.
Offers a nuanced look at the psychological complexities of social alienation and isolation.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer-centric narrative elements.
Provides no information regarding racial or ethnic diversity within the setting or cast.
The social scope remains limited due to a lack of multi-layered character depth.

Official Synopsis

Shaun always feels separate and isolated from the confident, happy world around him. Whilst waiting for his parents in a busy pub, Shaun struggles valiantly to join in with the admirably happy people in the crowd, but the more he tries, the more he goes awry. As everything in the pub goes from bad to worse, Shaun finds himself confronted by the painful memories that made him who he is. His feelings, memories and desires overwhelm him and by the end of the evening he is ready to explode...

How are these scores produced? →