This movie is a very rare gem indeed. It's not often that you get to see Own-Voices productions of stories about queer people or deaf people and here you get both woven into one, all based on the real life experiences of the director.
Because of this, the film feels undeniably real in a way which I really enjoyed.
The actors' performances are fantastic for the most part, and the sound design is phenomenal. It fully immerses the viewer in the world that its deaf characters inhabit while still being entirely accessible for those not hard of hearing, it really is masterfully done.
I also really loved how much the story focused on the importance of community and support, of found family in a way.
Now, will some viewers, such as myself, who enjoy certain privileges in their lives find this movie boring? Unfortunately, yes.
As someone who is lucky enough to be able to live openly and without fear and whose coming out was fully supported by a host of loving family members and friends, I couldn't relate to a lot of the struggles the characters faced.
But that in no way diminishes the film's value or should prevent anyone from watching it.
For anyone struggling with societal pressures due to their identity, for anyone who has to face rejection and recrimination for being who they are, for anyone grieving the "normal" happy life they haven't gotten to live yet, this movie will undoubtedly mean a lot. It's a promise that there is light at the end of the tunnel, the reassurance that, no matter what, you are not alone.
This is an incredibly important and meaningful message and for that alone I consider this movie well worth watching.