You are here:

The Blind Spot

Name: The Blind Spot
Director: Nabil Ben Yadir
Released: 2017
Duration: 105 min

Representation Score

4.0/10

Fair

2017

Director

Nabil Ben Yadir

Runtime

105 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a sophisticated crime thriller that uses its genre framework to explore systemic prejudice. While it lacks representation for LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities, it succeeds in subverting racial clichés by centering an immigrant experience. By focusing on the tension between state authority and underrepresented identities, the film challenges the perceived moral infallibility of Western policing through a high-stakes narrative. Ultimately, the film's impact is driven by its racial and cultural depth, despite being limited by a male-dominated cast and a lack of gender diversity.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Blind Spot have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories. The plot revolves around conflicts between the main character and state authorities.

How does The Blind Spot portray gender?

Limited

The story focuses on male-driven conflicts and policing dynamics. There is a lack of women's ability to drive the story and diverse gender expressions, resulting in a traditional, male-centric structure.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Blind Spot?

Excellent

The film stands out by featuring a North African/Maghrebi protagonist in a Western urban setting. This challenges conventional crime thriller archetypes.

How does The Blind Spot represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story critiques Western institutional power by highlighting systemic profiling. It adopts a post-colonial perspective, examining the impact of historical power structures.

Does The Blind Spot include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

The film centers a North African protagonist, challenging traditional crime thriller archetypes.
It offers a sophisticated critique of Western institutional power and systemic profiling.
The film effectively explores the experiences of those considered 'outsiders' within a Western context.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities and related narratives.
There is a lack of women's ability to drive the story, leading to a heavily male-centric perspective.
Characters with visible or invisible disabilities are not represented.

Official Synopsis

Dode Hoek (Blind Spot) is the story of Jan Verbeeck, the uncompromising commissioner of the Antwerp drug squad. Known as Mr. Zero Tolerance, he is hugely popular with the people and the media. The country is thrown into commotion when he announces that he is leaving the police force just before the elections to join the extreme right party, VPV. On his last day as a policeman, he leads an investigation that takes him to Charleroi where a raid on a drug lab sets in motion a series of unforeseeable and fatal events.

How are these scores produced? →