You are here:
Toll

Toll

2023

Director

Carolina Markowicz

Runtime

102 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Suellen is a toll booth attendant who starts using her job to help a gang of thieves steal watches from people driving to the coast. But only for a noble cause: to send her son to an expensive gay conversion workshop.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

7.8/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Excellent

The story centers on a queer individual facing the systemic pressures of conversion therapy. It highlights the friction between personal identity and institutionalized heteronormativity through a central, intentional plot driver.

Gender Representation

Good

Suellen serves as a complex, non-traditional female protagonist. The film disrupts maternal archetypes by portraying her as a morally ambiguous figure driven by desperation and criminal activity.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

As a Brazilian production, the film offers a non-Western perspective on social dynamics. It inherently challenges the dominance of Western-centric cinematic narratives through its cultural framework.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The narrative is highly critical of religious institutions, framing conversion workshops as oppressive forces. It uses moral relativism to question the sanctity of traditional family units and religious dogma.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no significant evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this work.

Strengths

  • Provides a sharp, intentional critique of conversion therapy and institutionalized heteronormativity.
  • Subverts traditional maternal archetypes through a morally ambiguous and complex female protagonist.
  • Offers a non-Western perspective that challenges Anglo-Saxon cinematic hegemony.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit detail or representation regarding physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
  • Provides limited visibility into the specific racial diversity of the ensemble cast.

AI Analysis

Toll is a sophisticated drama that uses a whimsical yet gritty tone to deconstruct social hierarchies. It avoids easy moral answers, instead critiquing how religious dogma and family dynamics intersect with identity management. The film's strength lies in its intentionality, particularly regarding its critique of conversion therapy and its subversion of traditional feminine roles. By centering on a mother's misguided and criminal attempts to 'fix' her son, the narrative challenges the stability of conventional institutions. While the film excels in cultural and LGBTQ+ critiques, it offers less clarity regarding specific racial breakdowns or disability representation. Overall, it stands as a progressive piece of cinema that explores identity within a pressurized social framework.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.