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IMDbPro

What?

  • 2021
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
138
YOUR RATING
Josh Breslow, Josep Daniel Rosello, Marina Longares Escrichs, Keaton Talmadge, Jeremy Guskin, John Maucere, Amber Zion, and Sheena Lyles in What? (2021)
Filmed in the black-and-white silent style of Charlie Chaplin, but set in modern-day Los Angeles, WHAT? tells the story of a Deaf actor, tired of the disrespect and discrimination in Hollywood, who decides to take matters into his own... hands.
Play trailer1:33
1 Video
10 Photos
Comedy

WHAT? is a black and white, silent (and signing) comedy about a struggling deaf actor, sick of agreeing to increasingly humiliating tasks just to get a role, who decides to take matters into... Read allWHAT? is a black and white, silent (and signing) comedy about a struggling deaf actor, sick of agreeing to increasingly humiliating tasks just to get a role, who decides to take matters into his own - hands.WHAT? is a black and white, silent (and signing) comedy about a struggling deaf actor, sick of agreeing to increasingly humiliating tasks just to get a role, who decides to take matters into his own - hands.

  • Director
    • Alek Lev
  • Writers
    • Alek Lev
    • John Maucere
    • D.J. Kurs
  • Stars
    • John Maucere
    • Josh Breslow
    • Josep Daniel Rosello
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.8/10
    138
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alek Lev
    • Writers
      • Alek Lev
      • John Maucere
      • D.J. Kurs
    • Stars
      • John Maucere
      • Josh Breslow
      • Josep Daniel Rosello
    • 8User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 17 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    WHAT? Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:33
    WHAT? Official Trailer

    Photos9

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    + 6
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    Top cast38

    Edit
    John Maucere
    John Maucere
    • Don
    Josh Breslow
    Josh Breslow
    • Jamie
    Josep Daniel Rosello
    Josep Daniel Rosello
    • Jordi
    Marina Longares Escrichs
    Marina Longares Escrichs
    • Merce
    Jeremy Guskin
    Jeremy Guskin
    • Walton
    Amber Zion
    Amber Zion
    • Maddie
    Sheena Lyles
    • Adrienne
    Keaton Talmadge
    Keaton Talmadge
    • Frances
    Amanda Peterson
    • Sara the Barista
    Ruha Taslimi
    Ruha Taslimi
    • Betsy the Casting Director
    Trevor Murphy
    Trevor Murphy
    • Brando
    Liz Tannebaum
    Liz Tannebaum
    • Sophia
    Kay Oldfather-Daigle
    • Liz the Waitress
    Christy Meyers
    Christy Meyers
    • Megan
    John Nicholson
    John Nicholson
    • Joel the Crook
    Jodi Dennithorne
    Jodi Dennithorne
    • Silent Sammie
    Neepaul Arthur
    • Producer 1
    Jennifer Brasuell
    • Julie the Interpreter
    • Director
      • Alek Lev
    • Writers
      • Alek Lev
      • John Maucere
      • D.J. Kurs
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews8

    4.8138
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    10

    Featured reviews

    1hudsodave79-512-232791

    Not Funny and boring

    This is definitely a movie for the 'Stunning and Brave' brigade to watch whilst they clutch their imaginary pearls.

    I turned it off before the end to be be honest and i could not tell you how much I did actually watch as it seemed like hours going into days with my life force slowly ebbing away.
    1rgbmpzrr

    Seriously boring, baseless plot that has no purpose

    Do. Not. Waste. Your. Time. Nor. Your. Money. Watching. This. Movie.

    I know a couple of deaf people and they have expressed that this movie does not apply to their "silent" life. Next time make a more relevant movie to the deaf culture.
    9dterrio

    More Please

    A literary investment -- Deaf produced, directed, acted ... An experience in Language and storytelling for deaf and hearing alike.

    Styled upon the Charlie Chaplin-esque silent film .. Slapstick, Ironic, Hyperbolic ... and relevant.

    Fully Accessible

    A story about trying to break thru the glass ceiling as a deaf performer .. Which means doing what you can to appeal to a hearing majority .. Touchy stuff for some Deaf.

    Ableist motifs, but the characters describe the phenomenon as part of their arc.

    Can appear "slow" to both deaf and hearing audiences due to stylistic choices and certain cultural compromises in viewing.

    Altogether a film that can be enjoyed by "in" and "out" group viewers, worth purchasing and sure to gain recognition for Deaf Talent in performance.
    10thenoah

    Terrific and original independent film

    What? Is a great example of how small, independent films can be innovative and surprise you. It's a relatively.straightforward (sometimes very straightforward) depiction of discrimination in hollywood, but is heartfelt and inclusive for its audience - looking to bring you along and empathize with its characters while it shows the unending array of challenges, slights, and outright prejudice facing its protagonist.

    The film is all the more interesting both for its background - the film's producer's, it's leading actor, and a number of cast and crew are deaf - and for the fun it has evoking a silent era film, with a decidedly more modern injection of style and humor.

    The film was developed and shot with a small budget, which is readily apparent from its choices of location and limitations in its scope. But it's never anything but interesting, funny, and engaging, on a topic that could use more discussion in the arts. Highly recommended.
    10nmreade-80292

    Loved it so much

    Do you want a window into what it's like to be a Deaf actor in Hollywood? Ever wonder why there are so few films and shows with Deaf characters? This movie explains it all in a great, comedic way. It pays a lot of homage to Buster Keaton and silent films --- which is so brilliantly suited to Deaf communication anyhow. Obviously made on a shoestring budget, but full of warmth and humanity and a culture most of us don't even know is there. And a story about how Deaf people are treated in Hollywood is really a metaphor for how all disabled folks and Others tend to be treated in America. So you might just learn something!

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Keaton Talmadge is the great-granddaughter of Buster Keaton. She plays "Frances," which was Buster's middle name. She also performs a dance while standing in paint cans, which is an homage to a similar dance Buster once performed.

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    FAQ

    • How long is What??Powered by Alexa

    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 8, 2022 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • American Sign Language
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA(on location)
    • Production companies
      • The Maucere Brothers
      • Hyphenate Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes

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