Watch The Reason I Jump

The Reason I Jump is a 2020 documentary film that explores the experiences of non-speaking autistic people. Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Naoki Higashida, the film follows a group of autistic individuals from around the world, including in the UK, the US, and India, and shows how they perceive the world. The film's narrative is structured around Higashida's book, which explores how the sensory experiences of autistic people differ from those of neurotypical people. The film includes animation, recreated memories, and interviews with family members and experts, all of which are framed by excerpts from Higashida's book, read by Jordan O'Donegan.

The film's strength lies in its focus on individual experiences. It does not generalize about what autism is or how it manifests, but instead shows through the voices of autistic people themselves how they see the world. This approach brings a much-needed empathy to a subject that is too often approached by non-autistic people with pity or fear.

One of the film's main themes is the idea that the behavior of non-speaking autistic people is not just "random," but rather communicates specific needs and desires. One of the subjects, who communicates through typing on a keyboard, says that his communication is not automatic, but rather requires him to think through each word he writes. Another subject, who speaks through a letter board, talks about how she is not the same person as her body, which often seems to act independently of her will.

The film also explores how sensory experiences can be overwhelming for autistic people. One of the subjects, who is particularly sensitive to sound, talks about how he can hear the electrical hum of a light bulb, which can be physically painful for him. Another subject, who is fascinated by water, talks about how he feels like he is in a trance when he watches it move.

The film's visual style is impressive, with animated sequences that visualize the sensory experiences described by the subjects. For example, one of the subjects talks about how he sees colors in words, and the film visualizes this by having words on the screen that are made up of shifting colors. The animation is not just aesthetically pleasing, but also serves to really bring the subjects' experiences to life.

One of the film's drawbacks is that it can be difficult to follow at times. The film is structured around themes rather than a linear narrative, and while this allows for a more immersive experience, it can sometimes be disorienting. Additionally, the film sometimes sacrifices clarity for the sake of evocative visuals. While this can be beautiful, it can also make it hard to know what is going on.

Overall, The Reason I Jump is a beautiful and empathetic film that offers an important perspective on autism. Its focus on individual experiences allows the audience to understand autism not as a monolithic diagnosis, but rather as a collection of unique manifestations of neurological difference. In the current cultural moment of heightened awareness and acceptance of neurodiversity, this is a film that is worth watching.

The Reason I Jump is a 2021 documentary. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4 and a MetaScore of 83.