Movie review
October 2, 2019 · 117 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Gemini Man is a 2019 science fiction action thriller directed by Ang Lee. It stars Will Smith as a 51-year-old elite assassin who retires after 72 kills only to learn he is being hunted by a younger, faster clone of himself created by a rogue Defense Intelligence Agency program. The story centers on their confrontation, cloning ethics, personal conscience, and a father-son-like dynamic between the two versions of the character. No audience-visible woke, identity-driven, or activist elements appear in the plot, marketing, or execution.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Gemini Man.
Woke representation / casting
Ensemble fits a modern global intelligence story with a Black lead in an original role and a competent female co-lead; no race/gender swaps, no visible DEI emphasis or mismatched casting.
Woke political dialogue
Brief mentions of government overreach and moral doubts about assassination work appear as standard thriller beats; no activist rhetoric or contemporary political framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Explores personal identity and self-confrontation through cloning, but stays centered on individual conscience and regret rather than group identity, race, gender, or sexuality.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Shows a corrupt private military program and rogue agency creating emotionless soldiers; classic action-thriller trope about unchecked power, without modern activist framing such as patriarchy, whiteness, or systemic identity critiques.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No complaints exist that treat the film as pushing woke, DEI, or identity politics; all criticism targeted visuals, story, and pacing.
Creator track record context
Mix of personal-story directors, commercial producers (including one conservative), and one writer with recent liberal political activity; no strong identity-driven or activist pattern shapes this project.
Production
