Reason I Jump, The

Stars: Documentary

Director: Jerry Rothwell

An informative and at times distressing look at autistic children from around the world, many of them also unable to speak.

Based on the book by Japanese autistic Naoki Higashida, who managed to put the output of his fractured mind down on paper, the film shows us that autistic children are highly likely to be artistic as well. The vivid pictures graphically drawn and then painted by Indian girl Amrit are quite remarkable in their striking individuality.

Higashida, whose text provides the narration, explains that autistics take in details of an object before the whole, and become easily stressed, repeating the same phrases time and again. 'Exactly what the next moment has in store,' he explains, 'never stops being a big, big worry'.

Although the film is a little slow for its length, it does a decent job in sweeping away some of the cobwebs and mists that sometimes hide the minutiae of the autistic world.

David Quinlan

USA/UK 2020. UK Distributor: Picturehouse (BFI). Colour (unspecified).
82 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 19 Jun 2021