The Spooky Spectrum: Oliver from Come Play (2020)

Welcome, my dear readers to The Spooky Spectrum, A Halloween Edition of Breaking the (Autistic) Code. I will be looking at Autistic-coded, and some canonically autistic, characters in Horror films during the month of October. It is important to note that I will definitely be discussing some disturbing topics in these essays so be cautious before continuing on. Spoilers will also be a thing as well as snark.

I am not a licensed medical professional and this series is not about diagnosing the character(s) with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This series is a personal examination of the film/TV show's plot, the character's traits and personality and how they relate to me as an Autistic woman. I would encourage my readers to seek out different perspectives on disability representation especially from BIPOC disabled creators who are often ignored in the disability discourse.

This will be one of the many articles where I will be talking about a canonically Autistic character. I wanted to watch it again, after viewing it last year on a date, because my insights around my own Autism constantly evolve as I learn more about myself, and other autistics with different experiences. After some research and reading the perspectives of other Autistic people, we do have similar opinions regarding this film and also some very great points around the film's message around technology. How I will be approaching this will be different compared to my previous articles. I will be talking about how the Autistic character is treated throughout the film in regards to the plot, the supporting characters, how the actor portrays Autism as well as talk about how, and whether or not, the community was consulted in the production of the film.

How was the character treated throughout the film?

I will give Chase some credit for, as previously stated, writing an Autistic character that is not some helpless, moving set piece that for some reason seems to bother the people around them. It really shouldn't be considered revolutionary to have an Autistic character with some agency but at this point-in-time, it's a miracle. Throughout most of Hollywood history, Autistic people have either been portrayed as adults with child-like interests and characteristics that make them incapable of making their own decisions or monstrous children who are "lost" in their own heads and will harm anyone for no reason or warning. Chase did not go in either direction when writing the film and that is another aspect that I will give Chase credit for when writing and producing the film.

That is a small consolation compared to how the supporting characters treat him throughout the film. Sarah, Oliver's mother, treats his Autism like a massive burden and not an intrinsic part of his identity. His feelings of alienation toward his mother, from my perspective, are reasonable considering how she has been speaking about him throughout the film. At one point, she even says that she wishes that she could put all of Oliver's Autism "into a box" and "hide it away." The father, while not an active participant in Oliver's life, at least tries to humanize Oliver's experiences with Autism. I realize that for many Autism moms, it can be stressful to raise a disabled child. It can also be stressful to be disabled and hear your parent speak about you as if your existence is a huge drain on them with the added assumption that your parent believes that you are not paying attention to them. Trust me, as an Autistic, we are listening to every word you are saying, the tone you use when speaking about us, all of it. Even if your child is not giving eye contact, they are still listening to you.

The mother, Sarah, dies/turns into the monster at the end of the film as a show of sacrificing for Oliver. Now I understand why Chase did this for the film since he did want to show how much the mother was willing to give up anything for Oliver. My issue with the ending is that Sarah ultimately got what she wanted from him which was eye contact from him before she turns into the monster. This scene demonstrated that the film was not for Autistic people like myself but this film was created for western neurotypicals. Not every social interaction is going to be approached in the same way, and the idea that direct eye contact is a requirement for communication has been debunked since that idea is not shared all over the world. There is more than one way to communicate with someone and neurotypicals, especially those in the West, need to understand that their idea of "normal" is not universally held by everyone.

Oliver's use of the AAC/technology is viewed as him "shutting out" the world around him, or just a temporary means of communication until he learns to speak. This point-of-view is extremely damaging to non-verbal people as it is implied that AAC is not a legitimate form of communication and that being verbal should be the ultimate goal of independence. Being non-verbal is not a bad thing and forcing non-verbal people to speak only adds to the stigma that many non-verbal autistics face. I will get into more detail about the fearmongering of technology that is apparent in the film in another section but suffice to say that while Chase did make a good attempt at humanizing Autistic people, he also set the community back a few paces with his short-sighted view of technology.

"Larry" is a creature that was created out of the loneliness that others, including Oliver, experience when using technology. "Larry" seeks out lonely people in order to bring them into it's world via turning them into monsters or "friends." Near the end of the film, the mother confesses to having separated Oliver from his friend to protect herself after an incident between Oliver and Byron. I am not quite certain how technology is to blame for Oliver's loneliness. If anything, the mother's fear and selfishness is what caused Oliver to be more dependent on technology and not the other way around. Also, Oliver uses the technology he has access to in order to communicate with others, as well as cellphones are used throughout the film so Chase's message is especially confusing.

Was the Autistic community consulted during the production of this film?

I have tried to find any information on whether non-verbal Autistic people were consulted for the film and the answer appears to be "no but also yes." Chase did speak in an interview about how he interviewed Autistic children and adults but it was mainly about how Spongebob is a figure among the Autistic community, and how Oliver communicates to others using clips from SpongeBob. This is at least some effort from a neurotypical in regards to trying to understand the Autistic experience and why certain figures appeal to the Autistic community. While I do appreciate that Chase actually took the time to speak to Autistic Adults, and not ignore them like most NTs seem to do, he seems to not have consulted with non-verbal Autistics throughout production considering the film's anti-technology message and how Oliver's Autism is treated as a strain on the parents. The anti-technology message in horror films has been done numerous times and still often comes off as fear-mongering and Boomer-esque. Chases would've had a much more stronger message about technology if he consulted with organizations like CommunicationFirst, in order to have a full picture of non-verbal autistics. *wink*

Chase also discussed how he was lonely as a child and how technology would've made it worse for him. I am going to assume that Chase is neurotypical and point out that Neurotypical loneliness is different from Autistic loneliness. It's very presumptuous of him to think that technology makes people lonely when it in actuality, it is not the case for most Autistic people. Many Autistic people are social but they can also be introverted, needing time away from people or else they will suffer from burnout. It is a common misconception that Autistic people do not enjoy the company of others, since there would not be a massive Autistic community online if that were the case. Technology has been a huge benefit for many Autistic people as they have found their community through various social media apps and platforms. Autistic people need community as much anyone else and technology is one of the many avenues in which Autistic people can find their people. Until society learns to accept Autistic people for they are, many Autistic people will choose to forego friendships with neurotypicals due to the discrimination they face or try to mask their symptoms.

I am disappointed that Chase did not think through the, unintentional, message he was sending regarding technology and Autistic people. Many Autistic children and adults depend on technology to thrive in the world, with non-verbal Autistics needing technology, and AAC, to communicate. There are many non-verbal Autistics all over social media who communicate their experiences to a wider audience, including organizations like CommunicationFirst, but they are often ignored in favor of Autistic people who are considered more palatable. Also considering how all, if not most, of our technology was developed by Autistic people really speaks to the erasure of Autistic people and how they are STILL erased even with the best of intentions.

So, how did the actor do?

Oliver, as a character, is, at the very least, portrayed as a human being with his own inner thoughts and feelings on the situation. He is given more than a few opportunities to express his feelings of frustration, anxiety, happiness, and fear throughout the film. He is also a more active participant in trying to stop Larry and ultimately discovers his weakness. Azhy's performance was also really good and I appreciated the fact that the director didn't ask Azhy to make ridiculous facial expressions in order to appear "legitimately" disabled. *Ahem Sia* They also did a great job at portraying Oliver's stims as a legitimate way of coping with anxiety and overstimulation as opposed to some "strange thing" that must be eliminated. His meltdowns were also portrayed as legitimate reactions to stressful, overwhelming situations and not a "tantrum" worthy of being pinned to the ground and "crushed with love." *Ahem Sia*

Do I wish that Chase had seeked out a non-verbal Autistic child to play the role? Yes, I do. Neurotypicals will argue that non-verbal autistics cannot play such roles because acting in such a busy environment would be stressful for them. The truth is that there are many Autistic actors who are looking for roles such as this. It is extremely unfair to give roles to non-disabled actors when disabled actors are just as capable of playing roles. Can a movie set be a stressful place for Autistic/disabled people? Yes but there are still many actors who are into acting on television, movies, or the stage. At the very least Chase would've had an autistic person on set for the purpose of consulting on the Autistic experience and what Oliver would be feeling during those situations. While this movie is a step in the right direction in terms of disabled representation, I am hesitant to hope that it will get even better in a few years.

Come Play is a movie that made an attempt to humanize an Autistic child and put a face to that experience. There are some very obvious flaws in the film that I wish could be mended in order to have an inclusive experience for Autistic horror fans like myself. It is not impossible to create a film that centers on an Autistic person since Chase was able to do that but with mixed results. Despite my trepidations, I do hope that in the future, film directors will try harder to include Autistic people in every aspect of filming and production if they are going to create stories with Autistic characters.