You are here:

Crossfire

Name: Crossfire
Director: Claude Desrosiers
Released: 2016
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

6.2/10

Good

2016

Director

Claude Desrosiers

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Crossfire is a character-driven psychological thriller that centers on the nuanced portrayal of mental health. By focusing on a soldier dealing with PTSD, the film treats invisible disability as a primary source of tension rather than a secondary element. While the film avoids the cliché of passive female characters by placing Samantha Harrison in a high-stakes, high-control role, it lacks broader multi-layered depth. The narrative remains focused on individual survival and psychological realism. Ultimately, the film lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities and racial diversity. It serves more as a personal study of trauma and institutional betrayal than a broad social critique.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Crossfire have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not explicitly include LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-cisgender identities. The narrative focuses solely on the protagonist's military experiences and external threats.

How does Crossfire portray gender?

Fair

Samantha Harrison is a strong female lead in a predominantly male military environment. She plays a significant role in driving the story, but the plot centers on her victimization by an obsessed antagonist.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Crossfire?

Fair

The story emphasizes an individual's psychological journey rather than a diverse cast. There is no specific indication of intentional the way different parts of someone's identity overlap based on race or ethnicity.

How does Crossfire represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film questions the reliability of institutions and official narratives. However, it prioritizes individual survival over a broader cultural or systemic critique.

Does Crossfire include disability representation?

Good

PTSD is a central theme, depicting invisible disability. The protagonist's struggle with fragmented memories drives the plot, giving the condition significant narrative importance.

Present on Screen

Offers a meaningful and impactful depiction of PTSD and invisible disability.
Includes a strong female lead in a traditionally male-dominated military context.
Explores complex themes of institutional failure and unreliable official narratives.

Limited or Absent

Does not explicitly represent LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisgender identities.
Does not provide much evidence of racial or ethnic the way different parts of someone's identity overlap among the characters.
Focuses primarily on individual survival rather than broader systemic or cultural critiques.

Official Synopsis

When National Guard soldier Samantha Harrison returns from the front lines of Iraq, she realizes that none of her training helps her deal with PTSD or the struggles of returning to a normal life. Samantha comes home to find out she's being blamed for a friendly fire incident that killed two Americans and she becomes the target of an obsessed soldier seeking revenge for their deaths. She tries to reassemble her fragmented memories of that horrific night in order to convince everyone, including herself, that she didn't do it. Who do you turn to when you can't trust your own memories and the few people you do trust are being killed off one by one?

How are these scores produced? →