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Mara

Name: Mara
Director: Clive Tonge
Released: 2018
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

4.5/10

Fair

2018

Director

Clive Tonge

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Mara functions primarily as a genre-driven thriller that emphasizes psychological terror over social critique. While the film includes a female protagonist with professional authority, the narrative structure adheres closely to conventional horror archetypes. The film lacks significant multi-layered depth, showing little evidence of racial, cultural, or LGBTQ+ diversity. The themes focus on a singular psychological investigation and traditional domestic frameworks rather than challenging systemic norms. Ultimately, the character's influence is limited to the protagonist's struggle against a supernatural threat, leaving the broader social landscape largely unexplored.

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Category Breakdown

Does Mara have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include any explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisgender identities. The main conflict revolves around a traditional marriage between a husband and wife.

How does Mara portray gender?

Fair

Kate Fuller is portrayed as a professional woman with intellectual authority. However, she is often positioned as a subject of terror within typical horror scenarios.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Mara?

Limited

The cast does not include any diversity or non-Anglo-Saxon representation. The story suggests a localized and potentially homogeneous setting focused on a specific domestic crime.

How does Mara represent religion and culture?

Limited

The storyline relies on established mythological clichés involving a demon. It does not appear to challenge Western institutions or provide secularist narratives.

Does Mara include disability representation?

Limited

The protagonist's symptoms are used as supernatural horror mechanics. There is no nuanced exploration of neurodivergence or chronic illness beyond these plot-driven elements.

Present on Screen

The film features a female protagonist with professional authority as a criminal psychologist.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks racial and ethnic diversity, suggesting a homogeneous setting.
There is no explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender characters.
Disability is treated as a horror mechanic rather than a nuanced exploration of lived experience.
The story relies on traditional mythological clichés instead of challenging cultural norms.

Official Synopsis

Criminal psychologist Kate Fuller is assigned to the murder of a man who has seemingly been strangled in his sleep by his wife and the only witness is their eight-year-old daughter, Sophie. As Kate digs into the mystery of an ancient demon which kills people in their sleep, she experiences the same petrifying symptoms as all previous victims and spirals through a chilling nightmare to save herself and Sophie before she dares fall asleep again.

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