You are here:

Alaska Johansson

Name: Alaska Johansson
Director: Achim von Borries
Released: 2013
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

6.1/10

Good

2013

Director

Achim von Borries

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Alaska Johansson is a psychological character study that prioritizes individual instability over broad social representation. It successfully challenges traditional gender hierarchies by placing a woman at the center of a high-stakes career crisis. However, the film lacks significant breadth in other areas, such as racial, LGBTQ+, and disability representation. Ultimately, the film serves as a critique of modern social structures and professional identity rather than a vehicle for diverse identity politics.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Alaska Johansson have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film explores an extramarital affair but does not include explicit LGBTQ identities or non-traditional gender expressions.

How does Alaska Johansson portray gender?

Good

A female protagonist holds a high-stakes professional position. The story focuses on her psychological vulnerability and loss of control, challenging traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Alaska Johansson?

Limited

The film centers on a homogeneous social environment with no indication of a multi-ethnic cast or diverse racial backgrounds.

How does Alaska Johansson represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film critiques Western professional success and capitalist structures. It uses fragmented truths to deconstruct the 'perfect' persona expected by modern society.

Does Alaska Johansson include disability representation?

Fair

Mental health and neurodivergence are central themes as the protagonist deals with perceived illusions. It is unclear if this is handled with ability to act or as a thriller device.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by centering a female professional in a high-stakes role.
Offers a complex critique of modern capitalist structures and the pressure of professional perfection.
Explores psychological fragility and the deconstruction of individual stability.

Limited or Absent

Lacks meaningful racial and ethnic diversity within the cast and setting.
Provides minimal explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities.
Does not offer clear or ability to act-driven depictions of disability or neurodivergence.

Official Synopsis

Alaska Johansson is the perfect woman and she is the best in her profession as a headhunter. One day she is fired by her boss, a married man who she has an affair with. He also tells her that their relationship has no future. She decides that her best option is to commit suicide with a poison cocktail. She is saved when a child in a Halloween costume enters her apartment demanding sweets. Something is not right about the child. Later her neighbor is going to tell here that there never was a child. Alaska’s world is turning upside down, her perceptions seem to be merely illusions. When her car starts to act on its own and causes a crash, she becomes convinced that someone is conspiring against her. Or is there another, darker secret in Alaska’s life?

How are these scores produced? →