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Butter on the Latch

Name: Butter on the Latch
Director: Josephine Decker
Released: 2013
Duration: 72 min

Representation Score

4.5/10

Fair

2013

Not Rated

Director

Josephine Decker

Runtime

72 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Josephine Decker’s film dismantles traditional gender power structures by focusing on the psychological experiences of women, offering a unique perspective on female autonomy and desire. However, the film’s impact is limited due to a lack of multi-layered depth. The narrative centers on a homogeneous demographic, offering little racial or LGBTQ+ diversity to enhance the social landscape. While the film excels in its postmodern approach to character's ability to drive the story, its narrow demographic focus hinders a higher overall diversity score.

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Category Breakdown

Does Butter on the Latch have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film delves into the complexities of friendship between Sarah and Isolde but lacks explicit depictions of non-straight relationships or same-sex intimacy.

How does Butter on the Latch portray gender?

Good

By focusing on female desire and ability to act, the film subverts traditional gender hierarchies, disrupting the male gaze and emphasizing the psychological depth of the female characters.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Butter on the Latch?

Limited

The film features a predominantly white cast set in a rural, pastoral environment with no significant racial diversity or characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity.

How does Butter on the Latch represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story challenges the idealization of stable family units by highlighting characters with impulsive, anti-social behaviors, emphasizing primal instincts over societal norms.

Does Butter on the Latch include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities playing central roles or being portrayed with specific ability to act.

Present on Screen

Subverts traditional gender hierarchies by centering female desire and ability to act.
Disrupts the male gaze through a focus on female psychological depth.
Challenges social norms by prioritizing primal instincts over traditional institutions.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of non-straight relationships or same-sex intimacy.
Features a predominantly white cast with minimal racial or ethnic diversity.
Provides no significant representation of characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Sarah and Isolde share an interest in the traditional music and dance of the Balkans, but it turns out that shared interests don’t always unite them. Their trip, initially a fun bonding experience, takes a southward turn when Sarah becomes interested in handsome fellow camper Steph. A seemingly innocent romantic overture touches off an abrupt shift in the dynamic between the two girlfriends, steering a previously ecstatic camp outing down a psychological rabbit hole.

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