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Seance on a Wet Afternoon

Name: Seance on a Wet Afternoon
Director: Bryan Forbes
Released: 1964
Duration: 116 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

1964

Director

Bryan Forbes

Runtime

116 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Bryan Forbes' film is a psychological study that emphasizes character-driven tension over broader social issues. It disrupts mid-century gender expectations by placing a woman in a position of strategic and intellectual leadership. Myra Savage is a proactive force, driving the tension through her obsession and planning. However, the film is limited by its specific temporal and social context. Set in a racially homogenous environment, the narrative lacks any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters. The story remains narrowly focused on a localized British working-class community.

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Category Breakdown

Does Seance on a Wet Afternoon have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on heterosexual relationships and does not include any LGBTQ+ identities or characters with non-binary gender identities.

How does Seance on a Wet Afternoon portray gender?

Good

Myra Savage challenges the typical submissive housewife stereotype by taking a leading role in driving the plot. She is portrayed as psychologically dominant and strategically cunning.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Seance on a Wet Afternoon?

Minimal

Set in a predominantly white British seaside town, the film lacks any racial or ethnic diversity. It reflects the era's focus on a localized, working-class British community.

How does Seance on a Wet Afternoon represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story questions traditional moral values and portrays the family unit as a place where manipulation occurs rather than stability. It highlights the complexity of moral relativism.

Does Seance on a Wet Afternoon include disability representation?

Fair

Billy's asthma adds a layer of physical vulnerability. His condition is used to highlight his lower status in the household hierarchy rather than exploring his ability to take action.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by centering women's strategic and intellectual dominance.
Explores complex moral relativism and questions the stability of the domestic sphere.
Offers a nuanced look at psychological complexity and character-driven tension.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity within its British seaside setting.
Does not include any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters.
Uses disability primarily to establish character hierarchy rather than exploring broader abilities.

Official Synopsis

Working-class British housewife Myra Savage reinvents herself as a medium, holding seances in the sitting room of her home with the hidden assistance of her under-employed, asthmatic husband, Billy. In an attempt to enhance her credibility as a psychic, Myra hatches an elaborate, ill-conceived plot to kidnap a wealthy couple's young daughter so that she can then help the police "find" the missing girl.

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