MOVIE:
Audible
WHERE TO WATCH:
OUR RATING:
4/5 Stars
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
This coming of age documentary follows Maryland School for the Deaf high school athlete Amaree McKenstry and his close friends as they face the pressures of senior year and grappling with the realities of venturing off into the hearing world. Amaree and his teammates take out their frustrations on the football field as they battle to protect an unprecedented winning streak while coming to terms with the tragic loss of a close friend.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
There's been a rise in deaf stories on the streaming circuit, but there is no denying that these are still few and far between. In continuing to give a platform to deaf voices, Netflix's latest release follows Maryland School for the Deaf football player Amaree McKenstry, and his teammates and friends as they navigate their senior year of high school while grappling with the reality of what comes next.
Audible, a powerful and immersive coming-of-age documentary, is directed by Matt Ogens and executive produced by Nyle DiMarco. It is only 38 minutes long but possesses all the emotional weight of a feature-length documentary.
I am so happy something like this exists. It shows the lives of people who are deaf through their eyes, rather than from a hearing person's perspective. In addition, Ogens and DiMarco have been able to capture so much in such a short amount of time. From the everyday ups and downs of being a teenager to dealing with loss and rebuilding relationships – these are things that, yes, people experience in different ways, but that is so universal at the same time.
While the main focus is on Amaree and his emotional journey, Ogens gives the feeling that the entire community onscreen is focused on through Amaree. One example of this is how they are all dealing with a tragic loss. Teddy, who was also deaf, died by suicide after transferring to a hearing school where he was bullied for being deaf and wearing hearing aids. So not only do we see what it means for these students to be immersed in a community that fully accepts them and loves them for who they are, but it also gives abled people a moment to acknowledge how important it is to understand a person living with a disability.
Working on this project was deeply personal for DiMarco – not only did he attend Maryland School for the Deaf in high school, but his brother Neal works as an assistant coach for the football team. In an interview with ET Online, DiMarco elaborated why being part of a project such as Audible is groundbreaking and influential.
"Audible is different in the fact that it's really about a deaf kid who's going to an all-deaf school, where students can be themselves, where everyone has an understanding of their culture and their community and of who they are."
This sentiment is further illustrated by the fact that Audible is not a story about triumph over adversity. Instead, it is a story about the life of a deaf athlete, his community of deaf students as they help one another prepare to leave behind a world where they aren't looked down upon for their deafness and enter one where they often feel alone and misunderstood.
Honestly, as much as they did tell a beautiful story in such a short amount of time, I wish this doccie was longer. I wish we got to know Amaree, Jalen, Lera and their friends and teammates better. But there is something poetic about the 38 minutes we do get to spend with these extraordinary humans. It perfectly captures just how short and fickle life is.
Towards the end of Audible, Jalen signs: "Life is short, you know? Anything can happen at any time." And in the short 38 minutes, I spent on the couch watching this story, I was so moved by Jalen's understanding of the big picture, even after losing his first love to suicide.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: