You are here:

The Kindness of Strangers

Name: The Kindness of Strangers
Director: Lone Scherfig
Released: 2019
Duration: 112 min

Representation Score

9.1/10

Excellent

2019

Not Rated

Director

Lone Scherfig

Runtime

112 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Lone Scherfig’s drama centers on communities outside mainstream economic and domestic structures. It replaces traditional individualistic narratives with a focus on collective identity and resilience. The film explores the intersection of survival and social interconnectedness, offering a sophisticated critique of institutional authority. While the film excels in portraying LGBTQ resilience and female solidarity, it lacks a dedicated focus on specific disability identities. Hardship is often viewed through a socioeconomic lens rather than direct representation of physical or neurodivergent experiences.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Kindness of Strangers have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

Set in the 1980s, the film highlights the resilience of LGBTQ communities through their relationships and struggles against systemic pressures.

How does The Kindness of Strangers portray gender?

Good

Women in the film establish strong support networks, challenging traditional patriarchal hierarchies and domestic roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Kindness of Strangers?

Good

The urban setting showcases a diverse range of ethnicities, avoiding a monolithic portrayal of underrepresented communities.

How does The Kindness of Strangers represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story presents squatting communities as moral alternatives to capitalism, emphasizing communal welfare over strict property laws.

Does The Kindness of Strangers include disability representation?

Fair

Neurodivergence or physical disabilities are not central to the main characters' stories. Their struggles are framed through economic instability rather than direct exploration of specific disabilities.

Present on Screen

Emphasis on female solidarity and subversion of patriarchal hierarchies.
Integration of queer identities into the central communal narrative.
Sophisticated critique of capitalism and property law through squatting communities.

Limited or Absent

Limited exploration of specific neurodivergent or physical disability identities.
Disability is often framed through economic hardship rather than direct representation.

Official Synopsis

Clara and her two sons escape from her abusive husband with little more than their car and plan to start over in New York. After the car towed away, the family meets Alice, who gets them into an emergency shelter. While stealing food at a Russian restaurant called ‘Winter Palace’, Clara meets Marc, who has been given the chance to help the old eatery regain its former glory. The ‘Winter Palace’ soon becomes a place of unexpected encounters between people who are all undergoing some sort of crisis and whom fate has now brought together.

How are these scores produced? →