This year, I had the honor and privilege to be able to screen several features at this years Reel Abilities international Film Festival, held in New York City.the best part about the festival, is that because it is focused on bringing the disabled voices front and center, the festival had its entire lineup described. Is this heaven? A film festival with full accessibility? Be still my heart.

Lone Wolves is one of the narrative features I had the pleasure of enjoying, and when you think of disability representation in film, this likely isn’t it.We are always just so damn inspirational aren’t we? Lone Wolves bucks that trend by taking the act of chasing the dream of pregnancy, throwing it into a do-it-yourself method, and calling up that guy you remember from that high school dance who was nice.

Director Ryan Cunningham takes a pretty simple concept, and finds ways of making it feel genuine across the board. The little details matter. Instead of the film being disability driven, it really is a situational comedy, with the awkwardness being present with or without disabled individuals present. the key to success is Matt Foss, who brings a indistinguishable charm to the role of Ben. He’s never meant to be a knight in shining armor, but he’s endearing, not because he’s autistic, but because he’s willing to put up with the eccentric requests of his former friend, Cora Vanderbroek’s Fran, who is really hoping this setup works. I could, and I am, pointing out the inherent desperation of having to contact an acquaintance from high school you haven’t stayed in touch with for such a bold request. Then again, he’s not a part of your life now, so if you aren’t looking for a father, he shouldn’t be sticking around.

Fran’s eccentricities could have landed her in the festival alone, as I’m sure she has her own stuff to deal with, but Ben really takes over the story. we get a hint at the gap he’s been away from Fran having many challenges, and yet he remains honest and friendly. Ben is never held back by his autism, and he’s not shown doing anything over the top, like we sometimes get in Hollywood films, but rather, just portrayed as someone a little bit different, who is clearly aware of what is happening, and not hindered by it. But the biggest question comes when Fran realizes he has autism, and the problem now becomes will Fran be worried about passing a potential gene to her child?

A thoughtful, quirky, wholly original delight that caught my attention. It features actors I’m unfamiliar with, and a director I didn’t know, but this indie could be in any festival, and deserves to be seen. The audio description made it so much easier to understand Fran’s setup, and things like personalized boxers for the occasion. She’s super concerned about maximizing fertility.

If you can catch Lone Wolves, you should. I think Matt is the standout here, not because he’s playing the disabled representation, but because his Ben is so damn charming. this isn’t a romance, where two people are supposed to fall in love, but his performance was such that I wouldn’t have minded if they did. Fran can seem a bit much at times, and the movie has no supporting cast whatsoever. We start at the hotel, and get right to it. I think the film would have been a bit stronger showing us Fran before the meet up, so we get a glimpse of her life outside the hotel, and how we got here.

Lone Wolves proves that beating your own drum sometimes is the whole point, and approaching things through a unique mindset makes all the difference. A delightful gem with honest representation.

Fresh: 7.4/10