You are here:

September Says

Name: September Says
Director: Ariane Labed
Released: 2025
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

8.4/10

Excellent

2025

Director

Ariane Labed

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Ariane Labed’s debut offers a sophisticated look at domestic stability. By focusing on female autonomy and psychological complexity, the film shifts away from patriarchal structures. The film stands out by challenging traditional gender roles, presenting women as powerful and complex actors. Its focus on the private world of the sisters disrupts standard social hierarchies. While the cast includes some racial diversity, the gothic Irish setting maintains a specific cultural look. The exploration of mental health adds depth to the narrative by highlighting neurodivergence.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does September Says have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film delves into a strong, private bond between sisters using a unique language. This highlights a departure from typical heterosexual norms through intimate, non-traditional emotional connections.

How does September Says portray gender?

Good

The story centers on women's ability to drive the narrative and complex power dynamics. It challenges the idea of women as passive by showing them as powerful figures within a matriarchal structure.

How racially and ethnically diverse is September Says?

Fair

The cast features Rakhee Thakrar, adding racial diversity. However, the gothic setting on the Irish coast emphasizes a more uniform European look.

How does September Says represent religion and culture?

Good

The story questions the idealized Western family and education systems. It prioritizes personal psychological truths over societal or religious norms in a secluded environment.

Does September Says include disability representation?

Good

Manic depression is a central theme rather than just a plot device. The film treats neurodivergence as a key part of the characters' identities.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing female-driven power dynamics.
Explores mental health and neurodivergence in a nuanced manner.
Questions conventional Western social and family structures through an isolated setting.

Limited or Absent

The gothic setting and genre may emphasize a more uniform European aesthetic.
The portrayal of unconventional intimacy remains subtle rather than explicitly detailed.

Official Synopsis

Sisters September and July share an intense bond, speaking in a secret language and keeping the outside world at a distance. After September is suspended from school, their mother brings them to a remote house on the Irish coast—where July begins to resist her sister’s increasingly sadistic control.

How are these scores produced? →