You are here:

Tenement

Name: Tenement
Director: Sokyou Chea, Inrasothythep Neth
Released: 2024
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

6.0/10

Good

2024

Director

Sokyou Chea, Inrasothythep Neth

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Tenement stands out through its localized perspective, moving away from Western-centric horror clichés to explore Cambodian historical memory. The film's strength lies in its ethnic specificity and its use of a Khmer Rouge-era setting to ground psychological horror in real-world cultural trauma. While the film provides a strong female-led perspective through Soriya, it lacks visible information regarding LGBTQ+ representation or disability inclusion. The narrative's impact is primarily driven by its cultural and ethnic authenticity rather than a broad spectrum of identity-based character archetypes.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Tenement have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on familial reconnection and ancestral trauma. There are no explicit mentions of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships in the plot.

How does Tenement portray gender?

Fair

Soriya, a female manga artist, serves as the central protagonist. Her personal journey of grief and professional life drives the film's exploration of psychological themes.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Tenement?

Excellent

The film centers a Khmer narrative within Phnom Penh. By using a Khmer Rouge-era setting, it disrupts Anglo-centric dominance in the horror genre.

How does Tenement represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story engages with post-colonial themes and historical trauma. It uses the Metta complex to explore how systemic historical forces and cultural legacies influence the present.

Does Tenement include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the provided material.

Present on Screen

High ethnic specificity through a Khmer-centered narrative and setting.
Strong cultural engagement with post-colonial themes and historical trauma.
A female-driven plot that prioritizes a woman's perspective on grief and art.

Limited or Absent

Lack of visible LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight relationships.
No information regarding the inclusion of characters with disabilities.
Unclear depth regarding the subversion of traditional gender hierarchies.

Official Synopsis

Following her mother’s death, manga artist Soriya travels to her ancestral home in Phnom Penh, with hopes of reconnecting with her distant family and using the visit as inspiration for her work. All goes well initially. Renting an apartment in Metta, a rundown Khmer Rouge-era housing complex, her visit to her maternal relatives finds her welcomed with open arms. But Soriya’s waking hours in the apartment and its surroundings are punctuated by terrifying, bloody visions, almost as though she were a conduit for horrors of the past wanting to seep into the present.

How are these scores produced? →