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The Innocents

The Innocents

2015

Director

Mauricio Brunetti

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

19th century Argentina. After having had to leave the country fifteen years ago, prodigal son Rodrigo finally returns to the family farm in Mercedaria to introduce his wife Bianca to his parents. He’s not really looking forward to this family reunion. His youth was spent working with the slaves on the farm who were treated without mercy by his parents. His father regularly abused the female slaves, while his mother even burned one alive to save the family honor. It’s time for some ghostly revenge and this happens to coincide with Rodrigo’s return.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

7.3/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The story focuses on heteronormative family dynamics between Rodrigo and Bianca. There is no visible evidence of queer narratives or non-cisnormative identities.

Gender Representation

Good

The film subverts traditional feminine archetypes by portraying a mother driven by destructive social preservation. It centers on the historical victimization of female slaves.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

Non-white characters drive the plot through their ghostly revenge against systemic oppression. The narrative places the enslaved population at the center of its moral conflict.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The film critiques colonial institutions and the landed aristocracy. It deconstructs traditional social values like 'honor' by framing them as justifications for violence.

Disability Representation

Minimal

The narrative contains no mention of characters navigating physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Strengths

  • Strong focus on racial agency and the historical trauma of enslaved populations.
  • Effective deconstruction of colonial power structures and traditional social values.
  • Subversion of gender archetypes through complex, violent female characters.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lack of visible LGBTQ+ representation or non-cisnormative identities.
  • No inclusion of characters navigating physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

AI Analysis

The Innocents uses the horror genre to dismantle the romanticized myth of the 19th-century Argentine pastoral life. By centering the agency of the oppressed, the film transforms a standard family reunion into a critique of colonial and class-based hierarchies. The film excels in its exploration of racial and cultural power dynamics. It avoids traditional tropes by making the historical trauma of enslaved people the primary catalyst for the supernatural elements. While the film offers deep intersectional critique regarding race and class, it lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities and characters with disabilities. The focus remains strictly on the historical conflict between the landed gentry and the enslaved.

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