I have had a wonderful day and I was having a little trouble thinking about what kind of post I wanted to write. So, I decided to end off the day watching a movie randomly recommended to me off Likewise.
Hush is about a deaf mute writer who has a killer attack her home. The killer himself is completely deranged and takes pleasure in drawing out the kill when he can. He wants his victims to suffer and it’s a mind game for him.
Maddie lives alone isolated in the woods. The movie never explains why she was isolated, but she does say she didn’t chose it for herself.
I am writing as someone who isn’t mute or deaf and I read reviews from deaf and mute reviewers to get a better since of if the movie handled deafness in a respectful way. From what I gathered most really wanted a deaf mute actress to play Maddies role. This would have made her feel more authentic and the sign language wouldn’t have been mixed in its versions.
There also was a moment where Maddie reads the killers lips from too far of a distance that wouldn’t be plausible for someone who was truly deaf.
For a more detailed review of this from a deaf reviewer click here.
As far as the horror goes, I did enjoy it. 100% I’d have loved to see this played by a deaf actress and movie makers need to start listening to the communities they are portraying in films and actually cast people from those communities to play them. I think it’s important for everyone to see an authentic representation of themselves on screen.
Watching Hush was scary. There was certain things I felt where they were trying to get the deafness part right, but couldn’t hit the mark because they didn’t cast a deaf person for the role.
That being said enjoyable as the movie was I think it just showcases how important it is to cast the community your portraying and go that step further (though it shouldn’t be the step further, but the default) and make a movie that sorta is a step forward and steps backward all at once into something amazing and way more worth the watch.
I did find the other interesting part of this movie is that she used her brain as a writer to fight the killer. As I writer that is a part that I really enjoyed.
All in all, I’ll be really excited to watch more movies that actually incorporate deaf actors for deaf roles, and trans actors in trans roles, and actors who are autistic to play autistic roles and so on. This movie highlighted for me that I want to start searching for movies and shows that make it a point to cast from the communities the show portrays. It makes a world of difference.
Places to donate to Trans communities:
Some BLM resources:
Link to bail funds to donate to!
Link to a video to watch if you can’t donate!
My friend started Live Streaming so check them out HERE!!
Check out my Instagram and Twitter!
Check out The Book Raven Poetry website!
Checkout The Book Raven Poetry Instagramand Twitter!
Check out the Sisters of Twilight website.
The Book Raven 