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Beneath

Name: Beneath
Director: Ben Carland
Released: 2025
Duration: 69 min

Representation Score

4.9/10

Fair

2025

Director

Ben Carland

Runtime

69 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Beneath utilizes a small-scale, high-stakes survival scenario to facilitate representation. By centering a diverse two-person crew in a submersible, the film avoids the homogeneous casting clichés common in deep-space sci-fi. The film's strength lies in its casting, which provides a foundation for racial and gender inclusivity. However, the narrative focus on environmental tension leaves little room for complex social world-building or overt systemic critiques. Ultimately, the film offers a contained but meaningful approach to diversity. It relies on characters taking control and diverse lead pairings rather than expansive cultural or multi-layered exploration.

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Category Breakdown

Does Beneath have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film's minimalist setting offers potential for dynamics that go beyond assuming everyone is straight or cisgender. However, there is no explicit evidence of same-sex intimacy or non-cisgender identities.

How does Beneath portray gender?

Fair

Helen Stryder's prominent role provides a central female presence in a traditionally male-dominated genre. This suggests a baseline for gender-inclusive storytelling through a role where she plays a significant part in driving the story.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Beneath?

Good

The inclusion of Javarius Conway alongside Helen Stryder suggests a diverse lead pairing. This moves away from the homogeneous casts often found in science fiction.

How does Beneath represent religion and culture?

Fair

The isolated setting on a Saturnian moon renders traditional institutions like religion and patriotism irrelevant. The narrative appears to prioritize survivalist pragmatism over systemic structures.

Does Beneath include disability representation?

Minimal

The current narrative details do not mention any characters possessing visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

The casting of a diverse lead duo disrupts common sci-fi clichés of homogeneous casts.
A female lead in a technical, high-control role provides a strong baseline for gender representation.
The isolated setting allows for potential non-straight or non-cisgender character dynamics within the small crew.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks explicit evidence of complex multi-layered identities or non-cisgender characters.
There is no visible representation of characters with disabilities within the current character descriptions.
The film's focus on survivalism may limit the exploration of deeper cultural or systemic critiques.

Official Synopsis

The two-person crew of a submersible descending into an ocean moon of Saturn become stranded and are at the mercy of strange lifeforms.

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