Incluvie – Better diversity in movies.
Identity in film through scores, reviews, and insights.

Incluvie – Better diversity in movies.
Explore identity in film through scores, reviews, and insights.

Avatar: Fire and Ash: A Female Led Marvel

An action film led by two queens, fighting for what they believe in through power and pain.

High Risk

4 / 5
INCLUVIE SCORE
5 / 5
MOVIE SCORE

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a marvel of a film. The world comes to life through animation and acting. The third installment of this series immerses into the world of the ash people. The leader of their tribe, Varang, is brought to life by Oona Chaplin. Chaplin’s performance is intense and fierce. Her character is a strong and confident leader, destroying everything in her way. She exudes leadership and strength, even if it’s for the bad side. Another female character able to match her is Neytiri, portrayed by Zoe Saldana.

Neytiri ‘s strength is transparent, yet it comes from a more vulnerable place. Grieving the loss of her eldest son adds a kind of rage to her strong character. She is full of hate and rage towards humans and will do anything to protect the ones she loves. Saldana sells the performance just with a certain look in her eyes. The pain radiates off of her. When Neytiri battles Varang, the fight between these two women is a force to be reckoned with. Watching two strong female characters fight so fiercely for what they believe in was very refreshing.

Varong embraces the power of fire while Neytin embraces the power of the Earth and the power of her Goddess. Both of their power stems from pain. Through dialogue, we learn that Varang lost everything she loves through fire, so she learned to embrace it. Neytiri does the same through the loss of her home and child. We see strength in these two characters beside their male counterparts. They hold their own and exude confidence. Accompanied by the acting and storyline, this film is full of action with deeper implications of power and grief led by two opposing queens.

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An exploration of societal expectations and madness: Die My Love (2025)

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a film that is jarring within the first five minutes. Being at the edge of my seat from the very beginning made me feel both excited and frightened for what was to come, and it did not disappoint. Led strongly by Jennifer Lawrence as Grace, a woman trapped in the “American dream”, this film shows that society tells us what should make us happy. Many critics describe Die My Love as being about post-partem depression, but it is so much more. After moving to a secluded home with her husband Jackson, Grace finds herself in the throes of motherhood. Feeling isolated in her physical environment and her romantic relationship, Grace suffers psychologically. Lawrence brings a sense of rawness and humor to the screen that is often uncomfortable. Robert Pattinson adds to the discomfort as her loving, yet lost husband Jackson, who cares about his wife but does not know how to help her. Lynne Ramsay has presented a film that forces us to look at the realness of life, and what happens when the promise of what should make you whole fails.

Ashley Delgadillo
December 21, 2025