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The Lullaby

Name: The Lullaby
Director: Darrell James Roodt
Released: 2018
Duration: 86 min

Representation Score

3.7/10

Limited

2018

Director

Darrell James Roodt

Runtime

86 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Lullaby uses the horror genre to deconstruct the idealized cliché of motherhood. By replacing domestic warmth with themes of guilt and instability, the film offers a grim departure from conventional cinematic narratives about family life. While the film successfully challenges traditional gender hierarchies, it lacks explicit LGBTQ+ representation and detailed racial diversity. Its focus is narrow, centering almost entirely on a singular, straight-centered psychological breakdown. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its exploration of the darker, more complex realities of mental health and the fractured nature of the nuclear family.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Lullaby have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses solely on a straight-centered maternal storyline. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities represented in the narrative.

How does The Lullaby portray gender?

Fair

The story challenges the nurturing female archetype by focusing on a woman's psychological disintegration. It portrays motherhood as a source of paranoia and depression, disrupting traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Lullaby?

Minimal

The surname van Heerden hints at a South African context, but there are no specific details about racial composition. The narrative lacks sufficient information to assess diverse racial identities.

How does The Lullaby represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques traditional family structures by depicting parenthood as a source of psychological terror. It portrays the nuclear family as a site of instability rather than social good.

Does The Lullaby include disability representation?

Fair

The protagonist's descent into dark depression and paranoia provides a platform for exploring mental health struggles. It centers on a mental health crisis within a domestic setting.

Present on Screen

Subverts the idealized motherhood cliché by exploring psychological instability.
Challenges traditional gender hierarchies through a non-traditional maternal arc.
Provides a platform for exploring mental health struggles and neurodivergent experiences.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit LGBTQ+ representation or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities.
Provides insufficient detail regarding racial composition and multi-layered identities.
Limited ability to act for male characters or subversion of masculinity.

Official Synopsis

Returning to her home town, overwhelmed by the birth of her firstborn, nineteen-year-old Chloe van Heerden tries to come to terms with motherhood. Despite the support from her own mother, Chloe struggles with the demands of caring for a newborn child. The incessant crying of her baby, the growing sense of guilt and paranoia send her into a dark depression. With a heightened urge to protect her son, she sees danger everywhere.

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