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Followers

Name: Followers
Director: Timothy Despina Marshall
Released: 2015
Duration: 12 min

Representation Score

5.5/10

Fair

2015

Director

Timothy Despina Marshall

Runtime

12 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Followers uses a concise narrative to explore the intersections of faith and social isolation. Its strength lies in its deliberate character pairings, particularly the cross-cultural friendship between an elderly woman and a young African man. This dynamic challenges traditional racial and generational hierarchies. However, the film lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities and does not include characters with disabilities. While it disrupts gender norms by centering an elderly female protagonist, its diversity focus is mainly on racial and religious themes. Overall, the film offers a nuanced exploration by challenging conventional clichés, even though it remains somewhat limited in its demographic range.

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Category Breakdown

Does Followers have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include any explicit LGBTQ+ characters or identities that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. The story focuses on the spiritual and platonic relationship between the two main characters.

How does Followers portray gender?

Fair

By focusing on an elderly woman dealing with loneliness, the film deviates from traditional patriarchal narratives. This shifts the usual emphasis on youthful, male-centric heroes.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Followers?

Good

The film pairs an elderly woman with a young African man, breaking typical demographic expectations. This relationship forms a key part of the emotional storyline.

How does Followers represent religion and culture?

Good

The story examines faith through a darkly humorous lens, portraying Jesus as a figure of social connection. It also critiques societal treatment of the elderly.

Does Followers include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

The film casts characters in ways that defy traditional racial and generational expectations.
It centers an elderly female protagonist who defies conventional male-centric heroism.
The narrative delves into the subjective nature of spiritual experiences and religious beliefs.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks visible representation of LGBTQ+ identities.
No characters with visible or invisible disabilities are included.
The disruption of gender norms is somewhat limited due to less detailed portrayal of the male character.

Official Synopsis

When an elderly woman sees a vision of Jesus on the shorts of a young African man at her swimming class, she befriends him, believing he's been sent by God to free her from loneliness. 'Followers' is a dark comedy drama about faith and loneliness. The short film explores how the two intertwine and is based on Tim Marshall's feature screenplay of the same name.

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