While looking throughout the majority of the reviews, it's become very clear that the majority of the public knows nothing about Autism. The first sign was his need for the trash bin lid to be down and then his need to wear the same hat. His collection of pens and lining them up by color, his inability to read emotions on people, his need to recite all the President's names, etc. The way he crinkled the doctor's table paper because of the way "it feels and sounds" was also a very obvious hint.
He even sort of mocks his own Autism disorder when he's talking to the mother of his daughter and "flaps" his hand in front of her face. Hand-flapping is a self-soothing that many on the spectrum do. People on the spectrum can have strong obsessions and the murder of this boy became exactly that. This is a soul who feels pushed out and lost in a world that doesn't understand him. He felt empathy or connection to a boy who truly looked at him in his garbage truck and would smile and wave every day at him. Most people don't look at or pay attention to garbage truck workers, so there's a similarity there as well.....the being unseen and the unheard in our society.
He is full of love and determination and empathy. He is a troubled soul who lost his father and is taking care of his sick mother. He has spent years wandering through life feeling unloved and misunderstood and now he has something he can do that he is proud of. He's taking away something bad in this world when no one else would. This gives him purpose and redemption.
This is a beautiful story. And, for anyone who immediately knew and understood that he was on the spectrum and included that in your reviews, thank you.
The world won't ever understand Autism if they aren't awoken to it by others. I'm more disappointed that the director never let the word "Autism" be used in the movie.
Review of A Dark Place
