Them That's Not

Them That’s Not follows Andrea “Drea” Stoney (Angel Theory), a Deaf poet, as she feels isolated at her grandmother’s repass, surrounded by a family who disregard ASL. She seeks refuge and purpose in the quiet corners of the house, and her world is shaken when her estranged father, Samuel (Biko Eisen-Martin), temporarily released from prison, returns after many years to mourn his mother. Both Drea and Samuel, bound by grief, must confront their damaged relationship and find a connection before his return to prison.

The piece almost immediately feels striking in its presentation due to the boxed-in aspect ratio, which places the viewer in Drea’s point of view and highlights her discomfort. The incredible sound design blocks out the noise as Drea’s point of view is isolating, and her family are deeply uninterested in ASL. Another outstanding stylistic decision is the use of subtitles, which appear muffled as Drea attempts to read lips. The filmmakers do an outstanding job of putting the viewer in Drea’s shoes, and it's incredibly raw and tough to witness her family dismiss her struggles and ambition for poetry. Mekhai Lee, serving as the director of the piece, beautifully directs the ASL conversations with the actors directly facing the camera, greatly anchoring the point-of-view approach. The use of blocking is also astounding as there are many groups of characters in one room at once, and each character is suitably placed in the frame throughout the gathering. Sade Ndya, who serves as the cinematographer, utilises a mix of over-the-shoulder shots during dialogue-heavy sequences and switches to wides that place the camera in the corner of the room, feeling akin to a fly-on-the-wall experience.

The tone of the film feels isolating throughout due to Drea’s inner turmoil; however, the moments of stillness are intimate and heart-warming. Angel Theory’s portrayal of Drea conveys a profound level of nuance and restraint, channelling an incredible central performance that makes it hard not to feel sympathy for her despite the restricted runtime. The performances across the board are sensational, in particular Carrie Compere’s portrayal of Aunt Carol, which is deeply complex as she tries to understand Drea’s pain and aspirations. Drea wants to stay true to her vision of poetry, and it's tough to witness her dreams being dismissed, as it's a less practical career path. The evocative musical score enhances the moments of stillness and is suitably placed into the narrative. This is one of the rare examples of a piece of filmmaking that makes incredible use of its tight runtime and budget constraints to deliver a sublime depiction of what it's like to be Deaf and feel out of place. In terms of issues with the piece, it's incredibly hard to find a place where the filmmakers put a foot wrong, and that's a testament to the narrative and phenomenal formal decisions on display.

The conclusion to Them That’s Not is beautiful, and the filmmakers wrap up Drea’s character arc in an emotionally satisfying manner, while providing a helping hand of empathy for her struggles and isolation for people who may be in a similar situation to hers. It's a profoundly empathetic piece of filmmaking that consistently leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat.

Them That’s Not is an emotionally overwhelming experience that perfectly places the viewer in the point of view of a deeply nuanced central character. Beautifully helmed by Mekhai Lee and led wonderfully by a magnificent performance from Angel Theory, the piece not only deeply sinks its teeth into the viewer but also offers a unique perspective on isolation and staying true to one’s artistic vision.

Them That’s Not will screen at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.