
Drum Wave
2018

Representation Score
Excellent
2021
Director
Jenna Cato Bass
Runtime
92 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetNew Showbiz Analysis
Good Madam is a sophisticated horror-drama that uses genre clichés to break down social and racial hierarchies. It stands out by centering Black women and exploring the overlapping power dynamics of post-apartheid South Africa. The film's strength lies in its disruption of traditional gender roles and its critique of colonial legacies. By focusing on women's ability to drive the story and economic navigation, it avoids many typical cinematic pitfalls. However, the representation of disability remains somewhat symbolic and atmospheric. While it avoids exploitative clichés, the focus on the catatonic character serves more as a narrative tension tool than a deep character study.
Category Breakdown
The film delves into non-traditional relationships and connections that go beyond the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. It highlights bodily autonomy and various types of relationships to offer a nuanced look at intimacy.
The narrative disrupts traditional hierarchies by centering on female-led spaces and economic ability to act. Women are presented as architects of their own environments rather than passive subjects within patriarchal structures.
Set in post-apartheid South Africa, the film features a predominantly Black cast to critique colonial and racial hierarchies. Characters navigate complex systemic issues with significant influence over their environment.
The story challenges Western and colonial legacies by presenting social settings through systemic tensions. It prioritizes personal experience and autonomy over traditional religious or state-sanctioned ideals.
The catatonic 'Madam' introduces themes of mental health and physical dependency. The representation is atmospheric and symbolic, integrating the condition into a broader systemic critique.
Present on Screen
Limited or Absent
Official Synopsis
In post-apartheid South Africa, Tsidi, a single mother, is forced to move in with her own estranged mother Mavis, a live-in domestic worker caring obsessively for her catatonic white ‘Madam’. And as Tsidi tries to heal her family, a sinister spectre begins to stir.

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