Big Neurodivergent Energy Films: 1-5

We’ve looked at a few Big Neurodivergent Energy TV shows, now how about some movies? Most of the films on today’s list are newer entries that I’ve watched in the last year, but they quickly joined the ranks of my favorites. 

 

Amélie

This was an early “grown-up” film that I really loved, so it makes sense that it has exceedingly autistic vibes. Arguably, every Jean-Pierre Jeunet film does, but this one does it in such an endearing, lovable way. From the narrator fastidiously detailing every character’s likes and dislikes (and obsessions,) to the painfully shy heroine concocting “stratagems” to connect with the man she likes, to Amélie’s deep-seated desire to help others/punish injustice combined with her intense need not to be perceived doing either, it just feels so lovingly autistic. Amazing!

 

The Little Mermaid

Yes, I’m specifically talking about the live-action adaptation here, although points can definitely be made for the animated version. While the neurodivergent coding may not be quite as deep-seated here as it is in some of the other films on this list, it was one of the first—maybe the first—I saw once I’d really started considering the possibility that I was autistic and ADHD. And Ariel and Eric both leapt off the screen for me. I love the tenor of their relationship, how it develops through their special interests and grows without the need for verbal communication on both sides. Seeing people online talk about how neurodivergent both of these characters are really helped crystalize my understanding of myself.

 

Nimona

Nimona is definitely an example where the film itself feels autistic/ADHD, not just the characters. I love the fast-paced humor and frenetic action combined with the emotional character drama and the found-family themes. I love Nimona’s explanation to Ballister about what shapeshifting feels like—the trans allegory is evident, of course, but I also see it as a commentary on masking and the importance of giving yourself permission to be “free.”

 

Nope

I love both OJ and Em, how their traits are so different from one another and clash so much, but how they both come through for each other the best they can. And I love how their respective traits end up helping them succeed—not in an “autism/ADHD is actually a superpower!” kind of way, but in a way that their particular situation dovetails so well with OJ’s special interest and Em’s penchant for collecting hobbies. Their respective autistic- and ADHD-coded traits can create challenges for them professionally and interpersonally, but when it comes to a UFO over their ranch, they lock in!

 

Polite Society

Oh my god, I love it so much. Ria’s hyperfocus and daydreaming, the way she infuses her life with the tension and drama of an action film, the general energy and humor and pacing and secondhand embarrassment. It’s so ADHD to me—I feel it in my bones.

Wish (2023, PG)

The newest Disney Princess film is out, ringing in 100 years of Disney. While it has some likable characters, lovely animation, and an interesting concept, it stumbles a little in the execution. In my estimation, it doesn’t fully distinguish itself as much as some of its predecessors.

Asha lives in the kingdom of Rosas, where every citizen gives their heart’s deepest wish to their king, the magician Magnifico, on their 18^th birthday. Magnifico safeguards the wishes, occasionally using his magic to make one of them come true, and when Asha gets her long-waited chance to interview as Magnifico’s new apprentice, she learns a dismaying secret about the kingdom. Longing to improve the lives of the people, Asha makes a wish of her own, one she’s not handing over to Magnifico.

There are some neat ideas at the center of this movie. The notion that citizens forget their wish when they give it to Magnifico is really poignant—when a person can no longer remember what they want more than anything, how does that affect who they are? And while some of the wishes would likely be impossible without magic, others are really tangible. Why would people give them to Magnifico and hope he’ll grant it someday, instead of trying to make it come true on their own? And while Magnifico is undeniably vain and paternalistic, assuming he knows better than all his citizens, his actions are also influenced by trauma in his past.

Unfortunately, the story is kind of all over the place, and none of these themes get explored as much as I would like. The narrative often stays on the surface of its richer ideas, only periodically digging a little deeper before going back to action, gags, and cackling villainy. I don’t want to take away from the deeper moments, because they’re really well done. I love how affected Asha is when she sees all the wishes for the first time in Magnifico’s study, and the ultimate resolution of the film is beautiful. But at the same time, these excellent moments make the film as a whole feel like it’s performing below its potential—because I know it does have something to say, it’s frustrating that it so often makes the easier choice instead of doing something more complex.

I intentionally put off writing this review for about a week, because I wanted to give myself more time to think about it; it wouldn’t be the first time my opinion of a film improved as I let it roll around in my head. But Wish has mostly stayed in a middling position for me—not a bad film, but not as good as it could be, and it doesn’t rise to the level of Disney’s better offerings, both classic gems like Aladdin or most recent wins like Encanto.

Part of it is the music, by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice. Again, it’s not bad, but for me, the songs have yet to really grab me. While they have improved for me with multiple listens, I feel like, for most part, the choruses are good but the verses and bridges don’t do enough to set themselves apart. This leaves them with a nice hook, but the full experience of each song feels a little lacking. And for my money, a lot of the lyrics are fine but unremarkable.

The film’s best assets are its animation and its cast. The visuals are beautifully done, especially the wishes—both Magnifico’s glowing orbs and the more overt personification of Asha’s wish. And as for the voice cast, Ariana DeBose is equal parts fun and endearing as Asha, and of course her singing is lovely. Chris Pine puts his all into voicing Magnifico, and Alan Tudyk is entertaining as Asha’s goat sidekick Valentino. I was distracted for like the first half of the film trying to figure out who voiced Sabino, Asha’s grandfather; it’s Victor Garber! The film also features Natasha Rothwell (Kelli from Insecure,) Harvey Guillén, Evan Peters, and Ramy Youssef—I wouldn’t have guessed any of them were in this, but it was a pleasant surprise to see their names in the credits afterwards.

Warnings

Scary moments for kids, thematic elements, some gross-out humor, and some “don’t try this at home.”

Neurodivergent (Headcanon) Alley: Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid)

*With Ariel, I mainly focused on the live-action remake but pointed out that much of what I said held true for the original animated film as well. With Eric, though, I’m just talking about the live-action movie.*

I’ve already talked about my love for the way the live-action Little Mermaid fleshes out Eric’s character and expands upon Ariel’s romance with him, and in my Neurodivergent (Headcanon) Alley post for Ariel, I mentioned the “Autistic4Autistic” view of their relationship. To the latter point, I have to say, no lies detected. Ariel and Eric’s romance isn’t great in this film just because Eric has added nuance as a character; it’s great because they’re different from other people in the same way and can feel that about each other.

Like Ariel, Eric has a deep obsession that nobody else seems to understand. He too is fascinated by other cultures—while Ariel is entranced by the human world, Eric chases the experience of sailing to as many ports as he possibly can, learning other ways of doing things and acquiring goods that his small island has never seen. He explains to his mother that he doesn’t want the island to be left behind, that he wants to find new things that will benefit them and lead them into the future, and to be sure, that’s part of it. Eric is a considerate guy who wants to help others. But there’s also something humming beneath his skin that needs this. He’s drawn to exploration, and he can’t bring himself to stop no matter how much his mother demands to the contrary. He has a collection very similar to Ariel’s, and when she comes to the palace, this is how they first bond: with Ariel expressing curiosity toward the collection that means so much to Eric and with him happily infodumping to her about the things he loves.

I interpret Eric as probably AuDHD (Ariel could be an AuDHDer as well, now that I think about it,) because in addition to throwing over societal expectation for the sake of his special interest, he’s also incredibly novelty-seeking. As I said, he loves adventure, exploration, and learning new things. He’s very kinetic and can be impulsive, such as climbing out onto the bowsprit to fix something, heedless of Grimsby’s protests of danger.

He also does fairly well socially. Others find Eric’s obsession with other cultures odd, but he fits in well with the ship’s crew and enjoys mingling with them. Of course, the fact that he’s a prince probably bestows some extra goodwill on him, but he’s genuinely charming and charismatic. However, there are some social things that make him stand out a little. When he gets on something, he is on it, like a broken record, and no one can really get him off that topic. And he’s not really one for hiding his feelings. When he realizes that Ariel doesn’t speak and thinks this means she can’t be the young woman who saved him from the shipwreck, he’s still kind and gentle with her, but he can’t disguise his kneejerk disappointment.

Thinking about it, you could argue that Eric’s neurodivergent traits help shield him (partially) from Ursula’s enchantment. She does use Ariel’s voice to entrance him, but while Eric is pretty plainly hypnotized in the animated movie, Eric in the live-action film is never fully under her control. Even as he prepares to announce his engagement to “Vanessa,” he looks around for Ariel and feels confused about what he wants. The magic is telling him one thing, but his mind and heart are telling him another. And honestly, going, “I may be under a spell, but this doesn’t make sense to me,” is such an autistic-ass thing to do. Despite being under Ursula’s thrall, he keeps questioning it, and he keeps being pulled toward the person he has a true kindship with. Neurodivergent love wins out!