The scenes are recognisable as film stills (with cinematic angles, lighting, and drama) but are from no particular movie. Because the characters are always in the middle of something that feels suspenseful, you're curious to find out what but in classic Cindy Sherman style her untitled photographs offer no clues. All the different characters that Sherman plays represent common female stereotypes e.g. the career girl, bombshell, fashion victim, schoolgirl, socialite, lady, etc. pointing out the absurdity of it all.
Cindy Sherman was always critical about contemporary image culture and the rise of image consumerism, forming part of a group of artists known as the 'The Picture Generation' who used their art to appropriate consumer imagery (like ads, tv, the concept of 'celebrity') to reveal the fabricated nature of 'the picture'.
