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Check It

Name: Check It
Director: Dana Flor, Toby Oppenheimer
Released: 2016
Duration: 91 min

Representation Score

7.3/10

Good

2016

Not Rated

Director

Dana Flor, Toby Oppenheimer

Runtime

91 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Check It is a powerful example of storytelling that avoids portraying underrepresented youth as mere victims. Instead, it presents queer youth of color as active agents who reshape their social reality through collective action and creative expression. The documentary effectively challenges societal hierarchies by validating the survival strategies used by those failed by state and social structures. By moving from defensive survival to the transformative pursuit of fashion, the film offers a sophisticated look at identity and ability to act. Ultimately, the work provides a nuanced critique of systemic pressures, using the specific subculture of Washington D.C. to explore how identity and survival intersect in high-stakes environments.

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Category Breakdown

Does Check It have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film focuses on gay and transgender youth, exploring their identity within dangerous environments. It emphasizes their collective defense and solidarity rather than just their vulnerability.

How does Check It portray gender?

Excellent

Non-traditional gender identities are prominently featured. The narrative challenges traditional hierarchies by showing transgender individuals navigating hyper-masculine gang environments and expressing themselves through fashion.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Check It?

Excellent

The cast includes predominantly teens of color, highlighting the intersection of race and sexuality. It examines how racialized identities navigate urban power dynamics in Washington D.C.

How does Check It represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film portrays gang formation as a response to systemic failures. It critiques traditional institutions by framing these behaviors as necessary protection against oppression.

Does Check It include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no explicit depiction of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Exceptional storytelling that centers the lived experiences of underrepresented youth.
Provides profound ability to act to subjects, portraying them as active agents rather than victims.
Challenges traditional gender norms by depicting queer solidarity and collective defense.
Offers a sophisticated critique of systemic failures through a unique cultural lens.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks explicit representation or discussion regarding physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Fed up with being pushed around, a group of gay and trans teens of color form a gang and fight back on the brutal streets of Washington D.C. They call their gang ‘Check it’ and this group of one-time victims of bullying, rape and abuse have turned the tables on anyone trying to hurt them. The group formed to provide its members safety in numbers and let people know that if they jump a queer kid in D.C., they may get beaten into a coma. This raw and intimate portrait follows three childhood friends as they struggle to survive and claw their way out of gang life through an unlikely avenue: fashion.

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