You are here:

The Five Devils

Name: The Five Devils
Director: Léa Mysius
Released: 2022
Duration: 96 min

Representation Score

8.0/10

Good

2022

Unrated

Director

Léa Mysius

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Léa Mysius creates a sophisticated film that prioritizes sensory and emotional truth over conventional storytelling. The film excels by placing women's ability to drive the story and queer intimacy at its core, challenging traditional gender and identity norms. While the film is progressive in its treatment of gender and identity, it remains a localized study focused on a Eurocentric, rural French context. Ultimately, the film succeeds as a psychological exploration, using magical realism to deconstruct objective reality and provide a rich, complex experience for viewers.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Five Devils have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film focuses on female intimacy and explores non-straight emotional landscapes. Queer identity is woven into the protagonist's psychological journey rather than being a side issue.

How does The Five Devils portray gender?

Excellent

Female characters drive the narrative through significant roles and complex internal struggles. The film avoids submissive clichés, presenting women as powerful and intellectually driven figures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Five Devils?

Limited

The cast is mainly white and reflects a rural French setting. The film functions as a localized character study without significant ethnic diversity.

How does The Five Devils represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative uses folk horror to critique rigid institutionalized beliefs. It favors a fluid, sensory-based understanding of existence over singular moral authority.

Does The Five Devils include disability representation?

Fair

The protagonist's heightened sense of smell provides a nuanced look at neurodivergent experiences. This sensory processing is used as a tool for navigation, not a deficit.

Present on Screen

Exceptional subversion of traditional gender hierarchies through powerful female protagonists.
Deeply integrated queer themes serving as a central lens for memory and trauma.
Nuanced portrayal of heightened sensory perception as a source of ability to act.

Limited or Absent

Limited racial and ethnic diversity within the predominantly white cast.
Narrow geographic and cultural focus lacking broader ethnic representation.

Official Synopsis

8-year-old Vicky has a mysterious gift: she can recreate any scent she comes across, even that of her beloved mother Joanne. When her estranged aunt Julia suddenly returns to town, the invocation of her fragrance plunges the young girl back in time to unravel a past replete with family secrets.

How are these scores produced? →