Muslim Misrepresentation in American Cinema

American media contributes significantly to popular culture, societal values, and perceptions not only within the United States but also globally. As society has evolved, representation in media has become increasingly important. Unfortunately, misinformation and biases remain widespread and have led to biases and prejudice against certain groups such as Muslims. Thus, this thesis delves into Muslim misrepresentation in American cinema since the events of September 11, 2001. Through a comprehensive content analysis of several films via "The Riz Test" and previous studies, this thesis aims to uncover patterns and themes in the narrative and address questions about how portrayals of Muslims have changed over time and how contemporary films attempt to disengage from stereotypes. This paper shows that films released after 2017 have offered a more favorable view of Muslims, but there is still a lot of work to be done in order to ensure nuanced and complex portrayals.