“Sorda” Is the Only Deaf Film You’ll Ever Need to Watch
Hello everyone. Today we’re diving into “Sorda,” a film that’s part social drama, part psychological minefield, and entirely too clever to be written off as feel-good representation fluff. Yes, it features a deaf protagonist. No, it’s not here to pat itself on the back for ‘inclusion points.’ Thank the cinematic gods for that small mercy.
A Plot That Doesn’t Baby You
Our lead, Ángela, is deaf. Her partner, Héctor, can hear. They’ve been dreaming of becoming parents. Cue the inevitable pregnancy and with it, every fear and insecurity that comes with impending parenthood-plus the unwelcome bonus DLC of stubborn social barriers erected entirely because she can’t hear. As if childbirth needed more side quests.
From awkward interactions in supposedly “specialist” stores to one of the most harrowing childbirth sequences in recent cinema, “Sorda” makes it crystal clear: reality can be brutal, and it doesn’t need Hollywood sheen to make it sting. This isn’t a film where you expect a magical fairy godmother to sign “happily ever after” in ASL. It’s a story that digs sharp nails into the audience and forces them to feel it.
Representation Without the Sugar-Coating
Here’s the thing: a lot of so-called representation in film is like those mobile game ads – looks exciting in the promo, but the actual gameplay is shallow, patronizing, and aggressively “safe” to avoid offending anyone. “Sorda” doesn’t give you that. It pushes the uncomfortable truths into your face and dares you to blink first. It lets its protagonist be flawed, sometimes alarmingly so, and that alone makes it more human than plenty of stock “inspirational” characters clogging awards seasons.
Garrett-level performance from Garlo nails Ángela’s inner complexity – a blend of personal trauma, resilience, and raw anger at a world not built for her. Cervantes plays the supportive partner without falling into human-prop territory, helping the story explore the subtler tensions of raising a child together under the glare of society’s judgmental flashlight.
Sound Design That Actually Matters
As a medically trained critic, I’m contractually obliged to tell you that “Sorda” treats sound not as background noise but as a living component of the story. Silence and distortion are designed to mimic Ángela’s perspective. It’s immersive, almost clinical in precision. The film doesn’t just show you her world – it calibrates your senses into it. In gaming terms, think swapping your stereo headset for a haptic, 3D audio rig mid-boss fight. You’re not just watching this narrative; you’re inside it.
Why It Works (and Why It’ll Annoy the Wrong People)
This is the sort of film that’ll send the “keep politics out of my entertainment” crowd clutching their Funko Pops in outrage – likely without ever realizing that the politics here are woven at the human level, not shouted at you through a megaphone. And in that way, it’s smarter than half the Oscar bait out there. No condescending pity parties, no “brave victim” tropes. Just a realistic portrayal of how societal systems chew you up if you fall outside their neat little hearing world configuration.
- Immersive and purposeful sound design.
- Complex lead performance without saintly gloss.
- Refuses predictable “social drama” clichés.
The Verdict
“Sorda” is an assertive piece of cinema that trusts its audience’s capacity for nuance. It’s not going to hold your hand, spoon-feed you hope speech, or drown in easy sentimentality. It offers a rich character profile, a crafted narrative rhythm, and a technical design that puts the viewer uncomfortably close to its protagonist’s reality. In other words, it’s the anti-Netflix-algorithm “diversity checkbox” flick.
Final diagnosis: aggressively good. Watch it if you have the stomach for stories that push you out of your comfy recliner and scream “look closer.” Leave it if you’re allergic to confronting reality head-on.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is entirely my opinion.
Es una de las mejores películas españolas del año y acaba de estrenarse en streaming. Una aclamada ópera prima que rompe esquemas, https://www.espinof.com/cine-espanol/mejores-peliculas-espanolas-ano-acaba-estrenarse-streaming-aclamada-opera-prima-que-rompe-esquemas
