
Movie review
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Woke Score
Lower is better
- Release Date
- October 16, 2019
- Age Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 119 min
Where to Watch
United States · Last checked 5/16/2026
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Breakdown
Factors & Ratings
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
Representation / casting choices
Visible diversity appears in supporting Dark Fey and fae roles with actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor and David Gyasi fitting the fantasy world's varied cultures; main leads follow traditional European fantasy casting without swaps or mismatches.
Political / ideological dialogue
Occasional lines about fear of the other and the need for unity, delivered naturally in fantasy context with no modern activist speeches or jargon.
Identity-driven story themes
Prejudice against a magical "other" race and strong independent women in central mother-daughter roles form the core; presented as timeless fantasy conflict and family drama rather than contemporary identity politics.
Institutional / cultural critique
Human prejudice and warmongering get portrayed as destructive and fear-based, but the story offers no specific attacks on patriarchy, traditional gender roles, capitalism, or Western institutions; the villain is a power-hungry queen.
