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Darkness by Day

Name: Darkness by Day
Director: Martín Desalvo
Released: 2014
Duration: 78 min

Representation Score

3.0/10

Limited

2014

Director

Martín Desalvo

Runtime

78 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Martín Desalvo’s horror film offers a localized perspective through its Chilean origins, moving away from Western-centric storytelling. This regional context provides a natural departure from the homogeneous casting often seen in major studio productions. However, the film's diversity is limited by its narrow narrative focus. The story prioritizes individual psychological trauma and domestic instability over broader engagement with identity politics or systemic social issues. While the film provides a platform for female perspectives through its central characters, it lacks the multi-layered markers necessary for a more diverse representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Darkness by Day have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any characters or stories related to LGBTQ+ identities. It focuses on the personal and psychological experiences of the main characters.

How does Darkness by Day portray gender?

Fair

The story centers around the experiences of Virginia and Anabel, who are female characters. However, it is unclear if these characters challenge traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Darkness by Day?

Fair

Being a Chilean production, the film operates outside the typical Anglo-Saxon cinematic norms. This regional context naturally deviates from the depiction of homogeneous white families as the standard.

How does Darkness by Day represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film explores subjective morality through psychological trauma and nightmare imagery. There is little indication of engagement with specific secular or anti-capitalist frameworks.

Does Darkness by Day include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of mental health conditions, neurodivergence, or physical disabilities playing a central role in the narrative.

Present on Screen

The film provides a non-Western setting that challenges Anglo-Saxon cinematic norms.
The narrative centers on female characters, offering a platform for their perspectives.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters.
There is no evidence of disability or neurodivergence being used as a narrative driver.
The story does not address systemic issues or identity politics.

Official Synopsis

It starts like this: a beach, a cliff, a pine tree forest, and a house made of stone. In the house, Virginia wakes up startled by a nightmare, and in the nightmare we can see her cousin Anabel with a deathly pale face and traces of blood around her lips.

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