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Things Heard & Seen

Things Heard & Seen

2021

TV-MA

Director

Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman

Runtime

120 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

A young woman discovers that both her husband and their new home harbor sinister secrets after they leave Manhattan for small-town life.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

3.9/10

Limited


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ characters or storylines. The narrative focuses strictly on a heteronormative domestic unit without engaging with queer identities.

Gender Representation

Good

The story centers on the female experience, prioritizing the maternal bond and female intellect. It de-centers traditional masculine leadership to focus on female emotional resilience.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

Set in a rural 1970s environment, the film utilizes a predominantly white cast. It does not engage with racial or ethnic diversity within its homogeneous social structure.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The film deconstructs the idealized nuclear family by portraying the home as a site of instability. It explores the breakdown of the traditional Western domestic sphere.

Disability Representation

Fair

The narrative explores invisible disabilities through themes of neurodivergence and psychological trauma. Auditory hallucinations drive the tension without relying on 'inspiration porn' tropes.

Strengths

  • Prioritizes female agency and intellect over traditional masculine leadership.
  • Explores psychological trauma and neurodivergence through a nuanced, non-exploitative lens.
  • Subverts domestic tropes by reframing the home as a site of psychological volatility.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks significant representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer storylines.
  • Features a predominantly white cast with minimal racial or ethnic diversity.
  • Maintains a narrow demographic scope that limits its cultural breadth.

AI Analysis

Things Heard & Seen is a character-driven psychological study that leans heavily into the female experience of trauma. By centering the narrative on the maternal bond and female intellect, it successfully subverts traditional gender hierarchies often found in horror. However, the film's demographic scope is quite narrow. The reliance on a predominantly white cast and a heteronormative framework limits its progressive breadth and engagement with broader social identities. Ultimately, the film finds its strength in exploring sensory and psychological experiences, using internal perception to drive the plot rather than relying on external tropes.

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