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Cheats

Name: Cheats
Director: Andrew Gurland
Released: 2002
Duration: 86 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

2002

PG-13

Director

Andrew Gurland

Runtime

86 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Cheats operates as a typical early-2000s teen comedy centered around teenage rebellion and academic subversion. The narrative emphasizes male-driven plots over social critique. While the film offers a mild critique of institutional authority by portraying schools as mechanisms of control, it fails to provide multi-layered depth. The social environment remains homogeneous, reflecting the conventional hierarchies of its time. Overall, the film does not intentionally address underrepresented identities and functions primarily as a localized story of individualistic mischief rather than a disruption of systemic power dynamics.

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Category Breakdown

Does Cheats have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on heterosexual relationships and does not include any queer characters or stories involving non-straight identities.

How does Cheats portray gender?

Limited

The main roles are held by male characters, and while there are female characters, they do not challenge traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Cheats?

Limited

The cast and setting suggest a predominantly white, Anglo-centric group, lacking in diverse racial representation.

How does Cheats represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story mildly critiques academic institutions as controlling mechanisms, but it does not address broader systemic issues of oppression.

Does Cheats include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of characters with physical, neurodivergent, or mental health disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Offers a mild critique of institutional authority and academic rigor.

Limited or Absent

Lacks multi-layered depth or representation of underrepresented identities.
Narrative ability to act is almost exclusively centered on male protagonists.
Maintains a homogeneous, Anglo-centric social environment.

Official Synopsis

While other kids buy into countless hours of studying just so they can get a mark in some teacher's report book, Handsome Davis sees it as nothing more than a system of control over your mind. That's why Handsome and his three best friends Sammy, Victor and the cribsheet genius Applebee have banded together and found ways to cheat on their tests all through their school years.

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