You are here:

The Hex

Name: The Hex
Director: Reine Swart
Released: 2020
Duration: 82 min

Representation Score

5.8/10

Fair

2020

Not Rated

Director

Reine Swart

Runtime

82 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film excels as a character study by challenging traditional gender roles and placing a woman at the center of a high-stakes psychological conflict. It effectively uses a localized South African setting to explore universal themes of grief and ancestral trauma. However, the narrative is constrained by a homogeneous cast and a narrow focus on individual trauma. While it introduces post-colonial elements through the concept of a witch doctor's curse, these serve more as atmospheric tools than systemic critiques.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Hex have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any prominent LGBTQ+ characters or storylines. Instead, it focuses on the protagonist's maternal lineage and personal grief.

How does The Hex portray gender?

Good

The story centers around a female protagonist who drives the plot through her intelligence and emotional resilience. She navigates a patriarchal rural environment.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Hex?

Fair

The cast is predominantly white and Afrikaans-speaking, reflecting a localized South African setting. Although it touches on post-colonial themes through indigenous folklore, the ensemble remains largely homogeneous.

How does The Hex represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film explores supernatural folklore and subjective morality rather than traditional religious frameworks. It uses an isolated agrarian setting to heighten tension through memory and trauma.

Does The Hex include disability representation?

Limited

The protagonist's psychological distress serves as a tool for creating horror tension. There is no specific portrayal of neurodivergence or physical disabilities through a lens of lived experience.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by centering a woman's intellect and emotional strength.
Uses a specific, localized cultural setting to explore deep psychological themes.
Provides a nuanced exploration of grief and ancestral trauma.

Limited or Absent

Lacks diversity in casting, remaining largely homogeneous.
Does not include any prominent LGBTQ+ identities or storylines.
Uses mental instability as a genre device rather than exploring lived disability experiences.

Official Synopsis

A grieving British girl unravels her murdered mother's secrets connected to a South African witch doctor's curse. She wants to put an end to this haunting hex by traveling to South Africa, but instead it casts her deeper into sinister depths.

How are these scores produced? →