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Using

Name: Using
Director: Zhou Hao
Released: 2007
Duration: 105 min

Representation Score

7.9/10

Good

2007

Not Rated

Director

Zhou Hao

Runtime

105 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Zhou Hao’s documentary offers a raw, unvarnished look at the heroin subculture in Guangzhou. It succeeds by providing a non-Western perspective and avoiding the moralizing clichés often found in crime narratives. By focusing on survival and systemic necessity, the film challenges mainstream perceptions of social order. However, the film's diversity is limited by its narrow focus on a specific male-dominated criminal underworld. The lack of explicit LGBTQ+ representation and limited visibility of women's roles result in a more moderate score for gender and identity-based inclusion. Ultimately, the work is a significant contribution to social documentary, prioritizing the lived realities of underrepresented populations over traditional cinematic structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does Using have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on the socioeconomic realities of heroin addiction. It does not explicitly center LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives within this subculture.

How does Using portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers on two male subjects navigating a criminal underworld. While it disrupts traditional social hierarchies, there is little information about women's roles or influence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Using?

Good

By centering a localized Chinese subculture in Guangzhou, the film shifts the focus away from Western-centric storytelling. It provides immersion into a demographic often ignored by global cinema.

How does Using represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The documentary avoids a punitive moral framework, instead framing illegal activity as a complex response to systemic pressures. It deconstructs traditional views on law and state-sanctioned morality.

Does Using include disability representation?

Fair

The film captures the visceral physiological degradation caused by chronic chemical dependency. It portrays the harrowing physical and mental toll of substance abuse on individuals' abilities to act.

Present on Screen

Provides a rare, immersive look into a localized Chinese subculture often ignored by global cinema.
Avoids traditional moralizing frameworks, presenting criminal behavior through a lens of systemic necessity and survival.
Offers a visceral, authentic portrayal of the physical and mental degradation caused by addiction.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation or focus on LGBTQ+ identities and narratives.
Features a narrow demographic focus, offering limited insight into women's roles or perspectives.
The narrative remains centered on a specific male-dominated social stratum.

Official Synopsis

Documentary filmmaker Zhou Hao examines the complicated relationship between two drug addicts who become dealers over the course of three years. Shot in the city of Guangzhou, the film offers a rare look into China's unknown heroin subculture.

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