MATERIALISM AND UTILITARIANISM IN HOT FUZZ: A CULTURAL MATERIALIST ANALYSIS

Abstract

This research aims to examine how the sociocultural aspects in Hot Fuzz (2007) are portrayed as materialistic, supported by Marvin Harris’s theory of cultural materialism. We employed qualitative methods, using both narrative and non-narrative contexts for film analysis, as these two elements encapsulate the data of the film. The study reveals that the materialistic system is reflected in the behaviour of the characters, which revolves around the infrastructure. This behaviour is taken to an extreme by the structure, within the complicity of utilitarianism, as the pursuit of material rewards outweighs natural and social outcomes within the community. Our research shows that Hot Fuzz is a film that is beyond humour, caricaturing capitalist systems.

Keywords: behaviour, cultural materialism, film analysis, utilitarianism