Movie: 247° F
Production Year: 2011
Tubi Provided Summary: A fun weekend turns into a nightmare when three friends get locked in a sauna, where they fight for their lives as the temperature rises.
Film Can Be Accessed At: https://tubitv.com/movies/356372/247-degrees-fahrenheit?start=true
Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: Yes
Main Character Analysis:
- Jenna- Deeply wounded from past traumas, very anxious, nervous, lacking in strength both mental and physical.
- Renee-Extremely feminine, highly sexualized, ditzy, high-pitched voice, and lacking in intelligent ideas or conversation.
- Ian-Nice guy character, attractive, very masculine, leader of the group.
- Michael-Alcoholic and drug obsessed, stereotypical party animal, very masculine, focused entirely on drugs, sex, and having a good time.
- Wade-Ian’s uncle, depicted as creepy and unnerving, is actually good at heart.
Death Analysis
- Ian: First and only to die on screen, extended death scene, slowly goes insane from dehydration, dies from a hysterical attempt to rip the heating device out of the gas line, explodes himself.
Survival Analysis
- Renee: Left in critical condition from heat exhaustion, dehydration, and inhalation of natural gas, as well as an accidental head wound from a rock. Survival is ambiguous.
- Jenna: Left in critical condition from heat exhaustion, dehydration, and inhalation of natural gas, as well as deeply traumatized from the events as they remind her of another near-death experience she had three years prior. Survival is ambiguous.
- Michael: Left healthy but traumatized from the events of the film.
- Wade: Survives as he was not directly involved in the dangerous events of the movie.
Final Statistics:
Character Sex Ratio: 2 Females: 3 Males
Character Survivor Ratio: 0 Female: 2 Males (not including ambiguous characters)
Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 33% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)
Final Takeaways:
247° F takes an interesting approach to the typical horror equation. In this film, not only is the setting the builder of suspense and main antagonist, but the characters also have distinctive personalities with deeper issues that add depth to the story. With Renee being in an unhealthy relationship, Michael being addicted to alcohol, and Jenna recovering from a car crash that killed her fiancee three years prior to the film, the characters are fundamentally human.
That being said, they are stereotypical and flat characters. It was deeply unsettling to see the two female characters develop the standard hysteria and emotional response to stress while the male character, Ian, was strong-willed, level-headed, and the instant leader of the group. Renee in a matter of scenes turns into the annoying girl with no personality aside from her curves and Jenna becomes a nervous wreck while Ian actually strengthens under the circumstances.
Despite this, 247° F, while analyzed using the Sex Role perspective, has an unusual ending with the female leads not dying on screen and the male character experiencing a large, dramatized, and violent death. This movie also passes the Bechdel Test which places it in a category of mediocre horror films with a few good moments. Unfortunately, those positives are drowned out in blatant preference for the male leads, sexualization of ditzy female characters, and the masculine character taking the automatic lead in a stressful situation.
Shared by: Ariana Nichols
Image Credit: Wikipedia