You are here:

Good As New

Name: Good As New
Director: Evgeny Shelyakin
Released: 2020
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

7.2/10

Good

2020

Director

Evgeny Shelyakin

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Good As New offers a character-driven exploration of identity through a displaced protagonist. By placing a Soviet-era man in Thailand, the film successfully disrupts standard Western-centric travel narratives, providing a moderate boost to racial and cultural diversity. However, the film's focus is heavily centered on a single male perspective. This narrow lens limits the potential for gender diversity and leaves the presence of LGBTQ+ representation entirely unaddressed. While the protagonist's memory loss introduces themes of neurodivergence, the narrative's depth in this area is not fully established. Overall, it is a nuanced study of displacement that lacks broader multi-layered breadth.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Good As New have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly include LGBTQ+ characters or dynamics. The story focuses primarily on the journey of the protagonist.

How does Good As New portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers on the actions of Xenophon, a 70-year-old man. There is limited information about female characters or the subversion of traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Good As New?

Good

Setting the story in Thailand provides a cross-cultural engagement that avoids Western-centric clichés. The protagonist must navigate a non-Western environment to build his new life.

How does Good As New represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film explores identity reconstruction and the loss of Soviet identity within a Thai setting. This narrative moves away from rigid nationalistic frameworks.

Does Good As New include disability representation?

Fair

Xenophon deals with memory loss, suggesting cognitive or neurological impairment. The story highlights his resourcefulness despite this impairment, though the nuance of this portrayal is unclear.

Present on Screen

The Thai setting provides a refreshing, non-Western backdrop for the protagonist's journey.
The narrative avoids traditional Western-centric clichés by focusing on cross-cultural navigation.
The protagonist is portrayed with ability to act despite his cognitive impairments and memory loss.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks representation of LGBTQ+ characters or diverse relationship dynamics.
The narrative architecture is heavily centered on a single male protagonist.
There is insufficient evidence of female characters in positions of power or ability to act.

Official Synopsis

Found unconscious and robbed on a beach in Thailand, 70-year old Xenophon only knows his own name because it was engraved on his old Soviet watch. He’s been left with no money and no identification…and he doesn’t speak a word of Thai. But Xenophon is a resourceful man. He begins to build a new life with friends and a new business, but there’s something disturbing in his past that he can only glimpse through his shattered memory. Is he really who he seems?

How are these scores produced? →