Movie: Dark Tales

 

Production Year: 2017

 

Tubi Provided Summary: This collection of spine-chilling stories will keep you up at night as you watch the various forms evil can take and the powers of the demonic world.

 

Film Can Be Accessed At: https://tubitv.com/movies/601986/dark-tales?start=true

 

 *Dark Tales is a horror anthology film comprised of seven short films. Each will be assessed individually*

 

Story: Friends Forever

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: Yes

 

Character Analysis:

  • Isabelle: Introduced covered in blood and accused of murder
  • Jay: Best friend of Isabelle, nervous

Death Analysis

  • Jay: First and only to die, quick death scene, pushed off the bed and head hits a radiator, killed by Isabelle accidentally.

 

Survival Analysis

  • Isabelle: survives but is traumatized by what she has seen

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 2 Females: 0 Males

Character Survivor Ratio: 1 Female: 0 Males

Character Death Ratio: 50% of Females to 0% of Males

 

 Story: B is for Bath

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: No

 

Character Analysis:

  • Unnamed Woman
  • Unnamed Man

Death Analysis

  • No certain death

 

Survival Analysis

  • Unnamed Woman

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 1 Female: 1 Male

Character Survivor Ratio: 1 Female: 0 Males (not including ambiguous characters)

Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 0% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)

 

Story: Night Smiles

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: Yes

 

Character Analysis:

  • Jenny: The babysitter
  • Elaine: The wife
  • Stewert: The husband

Death Analysis

  • No certain death

 

Survival Analysis

  • No certain survival

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 2 Female: 1 Male

Character Survivor Ratio: 0 Females: 0 Males (not including ambiguous characters)

Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 0% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)

 

Story: Dr. Leo

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: No

 

Character Analysis:

  • Unnamed Man

Death Analysis

  • No certain death

 

Survival Analysis

  • No certain survival

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 0 Female: 1 Male

Character Survivor Ratio: 0 Female: 0 Males (not including ambiguous characters)

Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 0% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)

 

Story: Life is Cheap

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: No

 

Character Analysis:

  • Sugar: Prostitute, intelligent
  • Unnamed Man
  • Unnamed Man

Death Analysis

  • Unnamed Man: First to die, quick death scene, stabbed to death, killed by Sugar
  • Unnamed Man: Second to die, moderate death scene, stabbed and then strangled to death, killed by Sugar

 

Survival Analysis

  • Sugar

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 1 Female: 2 Male

Character Survivor Ratio: 1 Female: 0 Males (not including ambiguous characters)

Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 100% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)

 

Story: Keeper

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: No

 

Character Analysis:

  • Unnamed Woman
  • Billie

Death Analysis

  • No death

 

Survival Analysis

  • Unnamed Woman
  • Billie

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 1 Female: 1 Male

Character Survivor Ratio: 1 Female: 1 Male (not including ambiguous characters)

Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 0% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)

 

Story: Michael

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: No

 

Character Analysis:

  • Unnamed Man
  • Priest

Death Analysis

  • Priest: First to die, extended death scene, stabbed in chest with a cross and assumed to be taken to Hell, killed by what is assumed to be divine intervention

 

Survival Analysis

  • No certain survival

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 0 Female: 2 Male

Character Survivor Ratio: 0 Female: 0 Males (not including ambiguous characters)

Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 50% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)

 

Story: Pretty Boy

 

Does This Movie Pass The Bechdel Test: No

 

Character Analysis:

  • Shannon
  • Pretty Boy

Death Analysis

  • No certain death

 

Survival Analysis

  • Pretty Boy

 

Final Statistics:

Character Sex Ratio: 1 Female: 1 Male

Character Survivor Ratio: 0 Female: 1 Male (not including ambiguous characters)

Character Death Ratio: 0% of Females to 0% of Males (not including ambiguous characters)

 

Final Takeaways: 

Since Dark Tales is an anthology, there is little time for any characters’ personalities to develop on screen. These films exist to achieve on-screen and direct gore or scare factor without developing much more in terms of meaning or care for characters. Because of this, analysis using the Sex Role perspective is difficult. 

Despite this, it is possible to take note of a few traits throughout the film. First, of the seven short stories, only two passed the Bechdel test, a rate of 28.6%. Interestingly enough, the deaths on screen do not favor male characters. Of the four certain deaths, only 1 was female, a rate of 25%. In addition, deaths were considerably more intense and gruesome for the male characters. Because of this, despite the lack of female representation across the film, Dark Tales makes for a film with a surprising preference for its female cast. 

Shared by: Ariana Nichols
Image Credit: IMDb