You are here:
Bedevil

Bedevil

1993

Director

Tracey Moffatt

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Three stories of the supernatural are recounted in this anthology. Rick, an Aboriginal boy living near a swamp on Bribie Island, is haunted by an American solider who drowned in quicksand. Ruby and her family live in a house near long-abandoned train tracks, which still carry ghostly apparitions. A landlord has trouble evicting the tenants of an old warehouse: a couple that's been dead for years

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.5/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. It focuses on surrealist abstraction and psychological states rather than exploring sexual orientation or gender identity.

Gender Representation

Good

The narrative disrupts conventional gendered leadership by prioritizing feminine subjectivity. It uses a dreamscape to subvert standard hierarchies, focusing on nuances of desire and isolation.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The film includes Aboriginal perspectives through the story of Rick, an Indigenous boy. This centers local identity and challenges Anglo-centric norms within the horror genre.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The film embraces subjective morality and fragmented truth. Its desolate settings critique stability and challenge traditional Western notions of progress and order.

Disability Representation

Fair

The film explores psychological fragmentation and mental instability through a surrealist lens. However, it lacks characters with visible or diagnosed disabilities or specific neurodivergent studies.

Strengths

  • Significant inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives through the character of Rick.
  • Subversion of traditional gender hierarchies by prioritizing feminine subjectivity.
  • Challenging Anglo-centric norms within the supernatural horror genre.
  • Sophisticated use of postmodern subjectivity to explore individual perception.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lack of explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisnormative narratives.
  • Absence of characters with visible or diagnosed disabilities.
  • Limited exploration of specific neurodivergent or chronic illness experiences.

AI Analysis

Tracey Moffatt’s anthology uses a fragmented, dreamlike structure to explore memory and trauma. The film stands out for its progressive inclusion of Indigenous perspectives, which provides a necessary counter-narrative to traditional horror tropes. While the work excels at subverting gender hierarchies and centering feminine subjectivity, it remains limited in its representation of LGBTQ+ identities and physical disabilities. The focus is primarily on psychological abstraction rather than specific identity-based character studies. Ultimately, the film is a sophisticated postmodern work. It succeeds by prioritizing individual perception and local heritage over conventional, institutionalized storytelling structures.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.