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The Boys

Name: The Boys
Director: Chung Ji-young
Released: 2023
Duration: 124 min

Representation Score

5.2/10

Fair

2023

Director

Chung Ji-young

Runtime

124 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film primarily functions as a critique of institutional power and systemic errors. It emphasizes the pursuit of justice against corrupt or negligent social structures rather than exploring identity-based diversity. Though the story lacks significant markers of LGBTQ+ or multi-ethnic casting, it achieves progressive value by challenging the 'competent authority' cliché. The narrative highlights the human cost of bureaucratic failures and the struggle of those sidelined by the state. Ultimately, the film's impact lies in its social commentary on systemic injustice, while maintaining a culturally homogeneous framework.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Boys have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film centers on a crime investigation and the restoration of justice for wrongly accused youths. There are no explicit LGBTQ+ characters or themes related to non-straight relationships.

How does The Boys portray gender?

Fair

Yoon Mi-sook, the victim's daughter, evolves from a passive observer to an active participant. However, the main conflict revolves around male-dominated police and criminal justice systems.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Boys?

Fair

Set in Jeonbuk province, South Korea, the film features a culturally homogeneous cast reflecting a specific geographic area without incorporating diverse identities.

How does The Boys represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story critiques the integrity of state institutions and the reliability of authority figures. By focusing on falsely accused youths, it questions the trustworthiness of the legal system and institutional power.

Does The Boys include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any characters with visible or invisible disabilities. There is no specific representation of individuals with disabilities in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Strong critique of institutional power and the fallibility of the legal system.
Challenges traditional clichés by portraying authority as potentially corrupt or obstructive.
Gives significant roles to female characters in the pursuit of justice.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or themes.
Features a culturally homogeneous cast that does not explore diverse identities.
The primary conflict remains centered on traditional, male-dominated policing.

Official Synopsis

In 1999, a robbery-murder case occurs in a small supermarket in Samnye, Jeonbuk province. The police investigation quickly narrows down to three boys from the neighborhood, and these boys are falsely accused of being murderers overnight and are imprisoned without understanding what is happening. The following year, veteran detective Hwang Joon-cheol is newly appointed as the head of Crime Investigation Division. He receives a tip about the real culprits and embarks on a reinvestigation to clear the boys' names. However, the interference of the detective responsible for the case at the time, Choi Woo-sung, leads to everything falling apart, and Hwang is demoted. Sixteen years later, the sole witness of the case and daughter of the victim, Yoon Mi-sook, and the boys return to Hwang, seeking justice...

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