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Bad Building

Bad Building

2015

NR

Director

Philip Granger

Runtime

75 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

The Desmond - the building's pleasant sounding name hides a troubled past. The high rise has a long history of fires, murders, madness and even colonial era genocide upon the site. The towering building has stood empty for the better part of a century and even squatters dare not enter it's fortress like walls. But now Johnny Craig, the host of the popular TV paranormal investigation show 'America's Most Haunted' is planning to do a prime-time special from inside The Desmond. With no known way in, or out, Craig has contacted a group of urban explorers to help him and his film crew enter the building. But when Craig and his team set foot inside The Desmond the events that caused the building to be abandoned in the first place begin to repeat.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

3.1/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks any evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or narratives addressing non-cisnormative identities. The focus remains strictly on the paranormal investigation and the building's history.

Gender Representation

Limited

The story centers on Johnny Craig and a team of urban explorers. There is no indication of gender subversion or the portrayal of non-traditional gender roles.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

The narrative engages with racialized trauma by referencing colonial-era genocide. However, it is unclear if this history provides character agency or serves merely as a plot device.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The film challenges Western stability by portraying a landmark as a site of genocide and madness. It also critiques the media's commodification of historical trauma.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the inclusion of characters with physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities within the film's context.

Strengths

  • The film engages with historical systemic violence and colonial trauma as a foundational element of its horror.
  • The narrative deconstructs Western stability by portraying a landmark as a site of madness and genocide.
  • It offers a critique of media consumption and the way trauma is commodified for entertainment.

Areas for Improvement

  • The film lacks character-driven intersectionality and meaningful representation of marginalized identities.
  • The focus on the paranormal investigation often prioritizes the investigators over the agency of historical subjects.
  • There is a lack of visible diversity regarding gender roles, LGBTQ+ identities, and disability representation.

AI Analysis

Bad Building operates primarily as a genre-driven horror film that utilizes historical trauma to fuel its supernatural elements. While it avoids the empty tropes of standard haunted house stories by rooting its malevolence in colonial-era genocide, the narrative remains centered on a media-driven expedition rather than diverse character perspectives. The film's strength lies in its thematic depth, linking contemporary horror to systemic historical violence. However, this engagement with history functions more as a backdrop for the paranormal investigation than a vehicle for marginalized agency or intersectional representation. Ultimately, the film prioritizes the voyeurism of the investigators over the voices of the historical subjects, resulting in a work that explores systemic oppression through setting rather than through a diverse cast.

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