Summer has come to Texas, and we can’t think of a better way to weather the heat and humidity than to sit in a cool, dark room with a bowl of popcorn watching movies! So, we asked our staff and friends to recommend some recent must-sees that explore disability themes or feature disabled actors. You can find our top picks below, but we hope you share your own recommendations in the comments! (We’ve included trailers for every recommendation below.)

Thelma (recommended by April Sullivan)

This summer I saw the new movie Thelma with my sister and mother and mother-in-law (really, she is my sister’s mother-in-law, but I like to claim her as well). I don’t go to the movie theater often, so this was a real treat that our mother-in-law Sherry took us all to the Alamo Drafthouse for this fun new flick.

Thelma is about a grandmother who falls prey to a scam artist who swindles her out of money, which she thinks is going to help her grandson get out of jail. Thelma may have been tricked, but she is not going to let the scammers win. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she embarks on an adventurous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her. 

The movie is funny and sweet. Sherry, who uses a scooter, and my mom both really related to the main character and her old lady feistiness. We all got a good laugh out of it. It’s a feel-good movie I would recommend any to attend. And take your mother or grandmother with you.

Help (recommended by Celia Hughes)

This made-for-TV movie, streaming on Acorn TV, casts a light on the lived experience of people caught inside nursing homes during the pandemic. Sarah is a young woman new to the job who hopes she can make a difference. She is on night duty, alone, when the order comes through to lock down the facility due to Covid-19. We follow her for the next few days as she attempts to care for residents who have become ill, working with dwindling supplies and trying to keep everyone, some who have developmental and intellectual disabilities, safe.

I found my heart breaking for Sarah as she quickly learns how resilient she is, watching the people that she cares for become sicker and sicker. When help finally arrives, there is little attention paid to the enormous task she undertook, which to me underscores the forgotten people who are hidden away in nursing homes and the unsung heroes who care for them.

Inside Out 2 (recommended by Jerry Slayton)

Who remembers becoming a teenager? And the thrilling and confusing changes that came along with that? Yeah, me too.

And strangely, my ten-year-old daughter, who hasn’t reached those milestones yet, remembers it, too. (?!)

Inside Out 2 is a movie about the internal lives of people. And amazingly, no matter our age, we can all identify with that.

In the movie, the returning main character, Riley, finds herself aging into puberty. Internally, she develops four new emotions: anxiety, ennui, envy, and embarrassment. As in the first movie, we follow characters that represent these internal emotions as they react to Riley’s external experiences. The emotions also embark on an adventure through Riley’s mind that leads them to discover the true importance of all experiences, positive and negative.

With their Inside Out series, the team at Pixar have created a wonderful formula that unpacks our most complex topic, human psychology, and re-presents it to us in a digestible narrative that lets us embody all the feels. And as if that wasn’t enough, they make these movies for kids, too.

Tell Them You Love Me (recommended by Eric Clow)

I can’t think of another movie that left me feeling more conflicted than Tell Them You Love Me. This new documentary, streaming on Netflix, relates the story of Anna Stubblefield, a college professor who becomes romantically involved with Derrick Johnson, a nonverbal black man who has cerebral palsy. Through facilitated communication, Anna effectively gives Derrick a voice, but is it actually him? Anna insists that it is and that their relationship is mutual while Derrick’s family views their alleged romance as non-consensual and abusive.

This film asks more questions than it answers, challenging us to think critically about the meaning of consent while reflecting on the dynamics of disability, race, and power that can skew our perceptions. I have had a number of deep conversations with friends and loved ones about the issues surrounding this difficult documentary. Such conversations feel essential to the project of creating a more just, equitable, and compassionate society, one that values the real talents and contributions of people with disabilities without abusing their vulnerabilities. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give this film is that if it was not made, people would not be engaging in these crucial discussions.

Tell Them You Love Me is a must-see for anyone who cares about disability justice and who wants every person, regardless of their abilities and modes of communication, to thrive.

Content Warning: This film involves discussions of sexual abuse against people with disabilities.

Walking through Peanut Butter (recommended by Nicole Cortichiato)

This ten-minute film follows an aspiring young female comedian who was recently diagnosed with narcolepsy. I’m sharing it because it’s pretty realistic, and I think it describes this rare condition in a way that people might understand. Watch it today on YouTube! (The full movie is below.)

Then Barbara Met Alan (recommended by MsBoye Nagle)

“What’s wrong with charity? I’ll tell you what’s wrong. It sees us as victims who need your help. We’re not f—ing useless. It’s society that’s disabling.” 

Then Barbara Met Alan (Netflix) is a “grown-up” movie, a pleasant change from the typical PG-rated disability-themed movies. It is the story of a revolution disguised as an irreverent, very funny, punk love story. It’s based on the true story of Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, two cabaret performers who met in the 1990s, had sex, fell in love, and became key figures in the disability rights movement in the UK. They co-founded the Disabled People’s Direct-Action Network (DAN) and led direct action protests across the UK against societal ableism, culminating in the passing of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. The film tells the little-known story of how they created a ground-roots revolution of disability activists who fought for equal rights and the dismantling of discriminatory barriers faced by people with disabilities. 

This movie is groundbreaking in its authentic portrayal of adults with disabilities. From the beginning of the project, the production company, Dragonfly TV was committed to genuine representation: “…we wanted to embrace the notion of ‘nothing about us without us’ and therefore bring together as many people from the disabled community as possible, across every aspect of production. Disability was put at the heart of all decision-making…”

It stars Ruth Madeley (Years and Years, The Watch (AMC), Doctor Who, Criptales) as Barbara Lisicki and Arthur Hughes (Shardlake, Help) as Alan Holdsworth. The movie also features Matt Fraser (American Horror Story: Freak Show, Loudermilk) and Liz Carr (Silent Witness), original members of the DAN movement who, with the help of wigs and makeup, play their younger selves. In this movie, I saw myself and my friends authentically represented, and I delighted in the most realistic dialogue I’ve ever heard between disabled characters. This is not surprising given the 30 disabled core cast and crew members and the 55 disabled supporting artists throughout.

Then Barbara Met Alan magically blends original archive material with manufactured footage to create a compelling narrative. The use of original archive material, provided by Barbara Lisicki herself, adds authenticity and historical accuracy to the film. Using original photographs and footage from actual protests and events, blended with manufactured archive material, the film re-creates key moments and protests with the actors. The result is not only brilliant visual storytelling, but it also took me back to the real-life rebellious spirit and radical activism I experienced as a teenager in the UK at the end of the 20th Century. 

Then there’s the love story, narrated by Barbara who is brutally honest and irreverent. It is a passionate, funny, chaotic whirlwind relationship between two militant young people. Characters who are deliciously complex and complicated. The narrative boldly includes steamy sexual scenes, violence, righteous anger, challenging stereotypes, exposing institutional ableism, and showcasing the full spectrum of disabled lives. All while reinventing how disability can be and should be depicted on screen.

This movie is a must-see for Disability Advocates, lovers of Disability History, and Anglophiles. 

Accessibility Note: Subtitles are a must for anyone who is not bilingual like me…I am fluent in both English and American! I am happy to offer translation services for any words or phrases that leave you baffled.

Honorable Mentions

She Came to Me: In this delightfully quirky romantic comedy, a struggling opera writer (Peter Dinklage) finds his muse in a tugboat captain (Marisa Tomei). Streaming on Hulu.

American Symphony: This intimate documentary follows musician Jon Batiste and his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, as they navigate a year of highs and lows. Jon creates a Grammy-winning symphony as Suleika endures treatments for cancer. This film affirms the power of love, compassion, and creativity. Streaming on Netflix.

What Movies and TV Shows Have You Enjoyed?

Tell us in the comments!