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The Haunting of Helena

Name: The Haunting of Helena
Director: Christian Bisceglia, Ascanio Malgarini
Released: 2013
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

3.9/10

Limited

2013

Director

Christian Bisceglia, Ascanio Malgarini

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film primarily operates within the conventions of psychological horror. While it centers on female protagonists, the narrative lacks the complexity needed to move beyond typical genre clichés. The story focuses on personal trauma such as divorce and childhood milestones, rather than broader social critiques. This keeps the narrative within a narrow demographic scope. Ultimately, the work functions as a localized thriller without explicit markers of identity-based subversion or diverse representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Haunting of Helena have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include any explicit references to LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships. The story revolves around a mother-daughter relationship following a divorce, sticking closely to traditional family structures.

How does The Haunting of Helena portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on female empowerment through the actions of Sophia and Helena, who face supernatural experiences. While the narrative highlights women's ability to drive the story, it follows traditional domestic struggles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Haunting of Helena?

Limited

Set in Southern Italy during a fascist era, the film portrays a homogeneous demographic. There is no indication of a racially or ethnically diverse cast.

How does The Haunting of Helena represent religion and culture?

Fair

The setting uses the fascist age to create a specific cultural backdrop. However, the horror in the film stems from personal trauma rather than a direct critique of historical institutions.

Does The Haunting of Helena include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information available regarding the inclusion of characters with physical, neurodivergent, or mental health disabilities.

Present on Screen

The film provides a focused study of female experience and empowerment through its central protagonists.
The use of a fascist-era Italian setting offers a specific and evocative cultural backdrop.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.
The story appears to center on a homogeneous demographic, lacking racial and ethnic diversity.
There is no evidence of characters representing various physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

After a divorce, Sophia moves to the south of Italy with her daughter, Helena. Their new home, an apartment within an austere building of the fascist age, is a chance for them to start a new life. But inside an old storage room hides a mysterious closet and a buried secret. After the loss of Helena’s first baby tooth, a chilling obsession begins and an apparition haunts her sleep...

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