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The Cry

Name: The Cry
Director: Bernadine Santistevan
Released: 2007
Duration: 83 min

Representation Score

6.1/10

Good

2007

Director

Bernadine Santistevan

Runtime

83 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Cry stands out from typical urban thrillers by blending Mexican spiritualism into its investigative framework. By centering the psychic warnings of a Mexican witch and the trauma of motherhood, the film steers clear of a purely masculine procedural approach. While the film shines in cultural depth and ethnic representation, it remains limited in its scope regarding LGBTQ+ identities and disability. The narrative leans on traditional maternal and investigative archetypes. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its departure from homogeneous Western horror clichés, opting instead for a more layered, spiritualized perspective on grief and evil.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Cry have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly depict LGBTQ+ identities or relationships that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. The story focuses on maternal bonds and the disappearance of children.

How does The Cry portray gender?

Fair

The story emphasizes women's ability to drive the story through maternal trauma and the intuitive warnings of Gloria. While a detective duo provides a procedural framework, the emotional core is driven by female characters.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Cry?

Good

The film incorporates Mexican folk mysticism into a New York setting, featuring a multi-ethnic investigative team. This inclusion moves the story away from purely Anglo-centric clichés.

How does The Cry represent religion and culture?

Good

By focusing on reincarnation and ancestral connections, the film challenges Western rationalism. It replaces singular Christian morality with a more subjective, spiritualized worldview rooted in non-Western beliefs.

Does The Cry include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the provided narrative details.

Present on Screen

Integrates Mexican folk mysticism and non-Western spiritualism into a modern urban thriller setting.
Prioritizes female emotional ability to act and maternal intuition over traditional masculine investigative clichés.
Features a multi-ethnic investigative team, moving away from purely Anglo-centric procedural storytelling.

Limited or Absent

Lacks visible LGBTQ+ ability to act or the subversion of straight relationships.
Provides no evidence of representation for physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
Relies on a standard procedural framework that may limit the exploration of diverse character identities.

Official Synopsis

In New York, detective Alex Scott is investigating with his partner Sergio Perez the disappearance of several children. When they visit the Mexican witch Gloria, the woman advises that a powerful evil force is chasing the reincarnation of her son and drowning the other children to bring pain to their mothers.

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