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Beasts

Name: Beasts
Director: Živko Nikolić
Released: 1977
Duration: 103 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

1977

Director

Živko Nikolić

Runtime

103 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Beasts is a grim sociological study that deconstructs the myth of rural solidarity. It succeeds in providing a nuanced, ethnographically authentic look at a specific Montenegrin landscape, using the setting to critique systemic economic failure and communal decay. However, the film struggles significantly with demographic inclusion. Women are depicted as commodities in a transactional society, and there is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or disabilities. Ultimately, the work's value lies in its thematic depth rather than its diversity, as it remains confined by the very hierarchies it seeks to critique.

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Category Breakdown

Does Beasts have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. The social structure is strictly based on traditional, heterosexual norms.

How does Beasts portray gender?

Limited

Women are portrayed as commodities in a transactional society. The narrative emphasizes female victimization rather than empowerment or ability to act.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Beasts?

Fair

The cast provides high ethnographic authenticity to its Montenegrin setting. It avoids whitewashing by centering a localized, non-Anglo-Saxon identity.

How does Beasts represent religion and culture?

Good

The film offers a profound critique of traditional social stability. It portrays the community as a corrupt, oppressive force driven by survival.

Does Beasts include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no discernible representation of physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities within the primary narrative.

Present on Screen

High ethnographic authenticity through a localized Montenegrin cast.
Sophisticated deconstruction of traditional social and communal institutions.
Nuanced critique of how systemic deprivation erodes human morality.

Limited or Absent

Lack of women's ability to drive the story or characters capable of disrupting hierarchies.
Complete absence of LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight-centered identities.
No representation of physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

A pretty girl arrives on a small island on a dark and stormy night. She becomes an excuse for the turbulence and evil that occurs when one man forgets his dignity and becomes a beast.

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