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Drones

Name: Drones
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Released: 2013
Duration: 82 min

Representation Score

2.8/10

Limited

2013

Not Rated

Director

Rick Rosenthal

Runtime

82 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Drones operates as a character-driven thriller that uses gender power dynamics to create tension. Its primary strength lies in challenging traditional masculine leadership by elevating the female lead's intellect and status. However, the film lacks depth in representing diverse identities, focusing primarily on a narrow Western military perspective. The narrative does not include LGBTQ+ characters, diverse racial backgrounds, or individuals with disabilities. Ultimately, the film’s progressive value is found in its exploration of class and privilege.

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Category Breakdown

Does Drones have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories about non-cisgender identities. The plot revolves around the professional and personal conflicts between the two main characters.

How does Drones portray gender?

Good

Sue Lawson challenges traditional gender roles by being the smart, sophisticated intellectual leader of the story. She holds a dominant position over the blue-collar male protagonist.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Drones?

Limited

The story centers on a homogeneous Western military perspective. Despite being set in Afghanistan, the focus remains almost entirely on the white, Anglo-Saxon drone operators.

How does Drones represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film examines socioeconomic tensions between a privileged general’s daughter and a working-class airman. This highlights class divisions and institutional hierarchies within the military.

Does Drones include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the film. The story does not use neurodivergence or mental health issues as central narrative elements.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by making the female lead the intellectual driver of the plot.
Explores complex socioeconomic tensions between institutional privilege and working-class identities.

Limited or Absent

Focuses almost exclusively on a homogeneous Western demographic, lacking racial and ethnic diversity.
Does not include any representation for LGBTQ+ identities or characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Drones begins in the Nevada desert, where new girl Sue Lawson joins airman Jack in a hot, windowless bunker from which they manoeuvre unmanned drones across the plains of Afghanistan. Their first day at work is awkward but polite, with Jack all too aware of Sue’s privileged status as daughter of a well-respected general. This, however, will be no ordinary mission: as they train their sights on an unarmed terrorist suspect, a power struggle erupts between the smart, sophisticated Sue and the dogged, blue-collar Jack.

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