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The People Upstairs

Name: The People Upstairs
Director: Cesc Gay
Released: 2020
Duration: 81 min

Representation Score

4.9/10

Fair

2020

Director

Cesc Gay

Runtime

81 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film functions as a nuanced social study that dismantles relationship norms. It excels in depicting domestic dysfunction and moral ambiguity as intricate facets of contemporary life. Though the film lacks broad racial or LGBTQ+ representation, it advances a progressive stance by undermining rigid gender roles. Characters navigate their desires through a subjective reality rather than traditional domestic structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does The People Upstairs have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story centers on conflicts within typical heterosexual relationships. It delves into shifting attractions and fluid desires but does not feature explicit non-straight identities or plots coded as queer.

How does The People Upstairs portray gender?

Good

The film challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing female emotional leadership. Ana drives the narrative, while the male characters are shown as anxious and vulnerable.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The People Upstairs?

Limited

The cast predominantly features a middle-class, Eurocentric demographic. The story focuses on a localized social circle without incorporating diverse ethnic backgrounds.

How does The People Upstairs represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative moves away from traditional moral frameworks, embracing situational ethics and moral relativism. It prioritizes individual exploration over maintaining conventional Western family structures.

Does The People Upstairs include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no depiction of characters dealing with visible or invisible disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional masculine stereotypes by portraying men as emotionally inept and vulnerable.
Centers female leadership, using female characters to propel the narrative from stagnation towards change.
Explores moral relativism and the dissolution of long-term commitments, challenging conventional domesticity.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, showcasing a predominantly homogeneous, Eurocentric social circle.
Offers limited representation of LGBTQ+ identities, focusing mainly on heterosexual relationships.
Does not include characters facing visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Julio and Ana have been together for more than fifteen years. They have become a couple who no longer look at nor touch one another, and who have made daily fighting the essence of their relationship. This evening, Ana has invited their upstairs neighbors to come round, Salva and Laura, a couple younger than them, pleasant and friendly, but whose noises are now an annoyance for Julio and Ana... or perhaps a stimulus? The upstairs neighbors will make them an unusual and surprising proposal which will turn the evening into an exaggerated and cathartic experience for all four.

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