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The Mortician

Name: The Mortician
Director: Gareth Maxwell Roberts
Released: 2011
Duration: 91 min

Representation Score

6.6/10

Good

2011

Director

Gareth Maxwell Roberts

Runtime

91 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film 'The Mortician' presents a gritty, character-driven study of social outsiders. By centering characters like a parolee and an alienated worker, the film moves away from homogeneous casting and explores systemic struggles. However, the film relies heavily on traditional masculine clichés and uses female characters primarily as plot devices. Psychological elements also lean toward standard cinematic clichés rather than nuanced depictions of mental health. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its racial diversity and its exploration of the lives of those outside the traditional social contract.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Mortician have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include explicit queer romantic relationships or non-cisgender identities. The story focuses on interactions between male characters, staying within a conventional framework without highlighting LGBTQ+ characters' ability to act.

How does The Mortician portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on masculine roles like stoic professionals and volatile youths. Female characters primarily act as symbolic catalysts, such as a deceased woman whose body triggers the protagonist's psychological journey.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Mortician?

Good

Characters like Noah, who navigates the complexities of parole, contribute to meaningful inclusion. The diverse cast helps drive the central tension within a gritty, high-stakes environment.

How does The Mortician represent religion and culture?

Good

The film explores characters on the fringes of society, including parolees and isolated workers. It focuses on unconventional alliances and the search for redemption, moving toward moral relativism.

Does The Mortician include disability representation?

Fair

Psychological trauma and haunting dreams serve as narrative devices for character development. These elements risk using mental distress as a plot tool rather than exploring neurodivergence with ability to act.

Present on Screen

Meaningful inclusion of diverse racial backgrounds.
Exploration of social outsiders and those on the fringes of society.
A nuanced look at redemption through unlikely alliances.

Limited or Absent

Over-reliance on traditional masculine roles and gender power hierarchies.
Use of female characters primarily as symbolic catalysts for male growth.
Potential use of psychological distress as a mere plot device.

Official Synopsis

Alienated and cold, The Mortician (Method Man) processes the corpses with steely disregard. He is lonely and isolated. He is introduced to his new employee, Noah, (EJ Bonilla) by the morgue boss (Edward Furlong). Noah is a volatile youth working as part of his parole.Noah brings the notorious gangster, Carver (Dash Mihok), and his crew to the mortuary door. The Mortician's attention is pricked by the tattoo of Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' inked on the body of a murdered woman (Judy Marte), that arrives at the morgue, triggering a series of haunting dreams from his childhood. Discovering a scared child, Kane (Cruz Santiago), fleeing the morgue, he's forced to act. They become reluctant allies, struggling for redemption as they run. Through his awkward heroism, the Mortician reconnects with his long forgotten past, and finds the answers he's been searching for. He find redemption and peace.

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