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The Field Guide to Evil

Name: The Field Guide to Evil
Director: Agnieszka Smoczyńska, Can Evrenol, Peter Strickland, Yannis Veslemes, Katrin Gebbe, Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, Calvin Lee Reeder, Ashim Ahluwalia
Released: 2019
Duration: 117 min

Representation Score

8.4/10

Excellent

2019

Director

Agnieszka Smoczyńska, Can Evrenol, Peter Strickland, Yannis Veslemes, Katrin Gebbe, Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, Calvin Lee Reeder, Ashim Ahluwalia

Runtime

117 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Field Guide to Evil succeeds as a progressive horror anthology by using a global team of directors to challenge Western-centric narrative norms. Its key strength is its racial and ethnic diversity, which shifts the genre from Anglo-centric settings to a post-colonial exploration of folklore. However, the film faces challenges in consistently representing various identities. While it challenges traditional gender roles by highlighting women's ability to drive the story, it lacks explicit LGBTQ+ narratives and proactive representation of characters with physical or sensory disabilities. Overall, the film is a structural success in presenting moral relativism. It replaces a singular view of evil with a fragmented, multifaceted exploration of human darkness across diverse cultural landscapes.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Field Guide to Evil have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The anthology format makes it hard to confirm explicit LGBTQ+ narratives. While the film avoids typical assumptions about straight relationships, it doesn't prominently feature LGBTQ+ characters or stories.

How does The Field Guide to Evil portray gender?

Good

The film challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing the role of women. Female characters often take leading roles in driving the story and have deep psychological complexity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Field Guide to Evil?

Excellent

The film stands out by avoiding Anglo-centric storytelling. It includes Indian and Turkish contexts, offering a global perspective that challenges Western-centric horror norms.

How does The Field Guide to Evil represent religion and culture?

Good

Evil is portrayed as a subjective concept influenced by culture. The segments criticize universal morality by showing traditional institutions as places of decay and moral ambiguity.

Does The Field Guide to Evil include disability representation?

Limited

Psychological distress is used mainly to create a surreal atmosphere. There is little evidence of characters with physical or sensory disabilities being actively represented.

Present on Screen

Rejects Anglo-centric storytelling through a global directorial team.
Challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing women's ability to drive the story.
Offers a sophisticated, post-colonial approach to folklore and cultural settings.

Limited or Absent

Needs more prominent or centralized LGBTQ+ narratives.
Requires more proactive representation of physical or sensory disabilities.
Uses psychological distress more as an atmospheric tool than character's ability to drive the story.

Official Synopsis

A feature-length anthology film. They are known as myths, lore, and folktales. Created to give logic to mankind’s darkest fears, these stories laid the foundation for what we now know as the horror genre.

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