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The Being

The Being

1983

R

Director

Jackie Kong

Runtime

81 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Toxic waste dumping in a small Idaho town turns a young boy into horrible mutant monster. The town's police chief and a government scientist team up to stop the monster, which is quickly killing off the town's citizenry.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

3.8/10

Limited


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. The story focuses entirely on an ecological catastrophe and biological mutation without addressing non-heteronormative identities.

Gender Representation

Fair

The narrative centers on a male child and a male police chief. While a female scientist holds a professional role, the primary agency remains driven by male protagonists.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

Set in a small Idaho town, the film suggests a homogeneous community. There is no indication of a multi-ethnic cast or a challenge to Anglo-centric norms.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The plot critiques institutional negligence regarding toxic waste. While it explores man's relationship with nature, it stays within a traditional survivalist framework.

Disability Representation

Fair

The central mutation serves as a metaphor for lost physical autonomy. However, it frames the transformed body as a monstrous threat rather than a lived experience.

Strengths

  • The film offers a critique of institutional responsibility and government mismanagement regarding toxic waste.
  • The biological mutation provides a layer of moral complexity regarding humanity's relationship with the natural world.

Areas for Improvement

  • The film relies on traditional gender hierarchies, centering agency primarily on male characters.
  • The narrative uses bodily transformation as a source of horror rather than exploring disability with nuance.
  • The setting and cast lack racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a homogeneous community.

AI Analysis

The Being operates as a standard 1980s genre piece, relying on established science fiction and horror tropes. Its narrative structure focuses on environmental disaster and biological mutation rather than social complexity. The film adheres to the conventional demographic boundaries of its era. It lacks intentional subversion of social hierarchies or intersectional depth, functioning primarily as a localized survival story. While the film touches on systemic failures regarding industrial mismanagement, it does not expand these themes into broader cultural or social critiques.

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