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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Name: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Director: Paolo Barzman
Released: 2008
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

3.1/10

Limited

2008

Director

Paolo Barzman

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This adaptation prioritizes historical accuracy and the psychological duality of the source material over modern progressive frameworks. It functions as a traditional period drama that maintains the established social hierarchies of Victorian London. The film lacks intentionality in disrupting conventional clichés. It relies on a Western-centric cast and traditional interpersonal relationships, offering little room for diverse representation. Ultimately, the production centers on the internal struggle of a single male protagonist. This narrow focus limits the representation of gender, race, and identity throughout the narrative.

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Category Breakdown

Does Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film strictly follows the assumptions that everyone is straight and cisgender. There are no characters with non-binary gender identities or same-sex relationships.

How does Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde portray gender?

Limited

Female characters are confined to domestic settings and serve as secondary figures to the male-driven storyline. The film upholds traditional 19th-century gender roles and male authority.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

Limited

The cast is mostly uniform, reflecting the historical context. An Amazonian plant element is used as a plot device without meaningful representation of diversity.

How does Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story operates within a framework of traditional Western morality. It focuses on the struggle between good and evil without challenging Western institutions.

Does Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde include disability representation?

Limited

Psychological issues are portrayed as supernatural or biological transformations. The narrative does not explore neurodivergence or the lived experience of disability in depth.

Present on Screen

Maintains historical accuracy regarding the rigid social structures of the Victorian era.

Limited or Absent

Lacks diverse character's ability to drive the story and characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity.
Reinforces traditional gender hierarchies and domestic roles for women.
Treats mental health as a horror device rather than a nuanced portrayal of neurodivergence.
Does not include non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities or same-sex relationships.

Official Synopsis

Dr. Henry Jekyll is a well-regarded physician whose evenings are spent researching a rare and sacred Amazonian flower so potent it's said to literally separate the soul, giving life to man's Dark Self. The obsessive experiments to isolate its psychotropic properties happen to coincide with a series of brutal murders gripping the city with fear. Jekyll knows it's no coincidence. While his nights are lost to him, he awakens with bloody mementos and violent memories of the screams of his victims.

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