Drama  •  2017  •  104 min  •  Teen (13+)

Columbus (2017)

Columbus poster

Columbus (2017)


Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Family Values: Leans Progressive

Viewer Rating
8.2

Overview

Columbus is a quiet 2017 drama set in Columbus, Indiana, where a Korean-American man stranded by a family crisis forms an unlikely friendship with a young local woman drawn to the city's modernist architecture. Director Kogonada keeps the film deliberately still and introspective. The Neutral label fits because the signals largely cancel out. Family relationships are portrayed with some skepticism toward traditional parental roles, both protagonists managing difficult or absent parents, but the film carries no political agenda and no identity-politics framing. The cast includes visible diversity handled without commentary. This is a character study about stasis, beauty, and the courage to leave, and it resists most of the categories that drive bias ratings.


Starring Cast

John Cho  •   Haley Lu Richardson  •   Parker Posey


Where to watch

Apple TV logoApple TV
Google Play logoGoogle Play
Fandango
Powered byJustWatch

Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Center

Primary

Political: Center
Confidence: High

Columbus explores universal themes of grief, human connection, and self-discovery through the lens of architecture and personal relationships. The narrative focuses on individual introspection and finding meaning in one's immediate surroundings, remaining apolitical in its exploration of human experience.

Diversity: Moderate
Confidence: High

The film includes visible diversity within its cast, featuring a non-white actor in a prominent role. Its narrative maintains a neutral or positive portrayal of traditional identities, without explicitly critiquing them or centering on specific diversity, equity, and inclusion themes.

Secondary

Family Values: Leans Progressive
Confidence: High

Columbus delves into the complex dynamics of parent-child relationships, portraying protagonists who navigate caregiving responsibilities for struggling parents and confront the legacies of estranged parental figures. The narrative questions traditional notions of parental authority and the ideal family unit.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: Medium

The film 'Columbus' explores themes of architecture, family, and connection through the developing relationship between a young woman and a man in Indiana. The narrative does not feature any explicit LGBTQ+ characters or themes, focusing instead on its central heterosexual relationships and individual journeys of self-discovery.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

The film 'Columbus' does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes within its narrative. The story centers on the unexpected connection between a man visiting Columbus, Indiana, and a local woman, exploring themes of architecture, personal identity, and the search for meaning in their lives.

Female Combat: N/R

The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film features original characters created for its narrative. There are no instances where characters previously established as one gender in source material, history, or prior adaptations are portrayed as a different gender.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film "Columbus" (2017) presents an original narrative with characters created specifically for the movie. There are no established canonical or historical figures whose race has been altered from prior depictions.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

8.2

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
7.2
The Movie Database logo
7.1

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
9.6
Metacritic logo
8.9

More Like This

Palmer poster
Progressive
7.0
Palmer
 (2021)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Tow poster
Leans Progressive
6.8
Tow
 (2026)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate