Disney Pixar has made a habit of bringing new and unseen messages onto the big screen, but perhaps none have been as prominent and powerful as Loop. The short features Disney’s first-ever non-verbal autistic leading lady, Renee played by Madison Bandy. During the short, Renee and her new friend, Marcus played by Christiano Delgado go on a canoe ride, where they are forced to work together to find new ways to connect and understand each other. The short was directed by Erica Milsom and was written by Adam Burke and Matthias De Clercq.
Loop somehow manages to do everything right, avoiding what so many movies and tv shows have failed at in the past. They did this by casting a non-verbal autistic woman to play their non-verbal autistic character, doing their research, and meeting with a group of consultants to ensure they are presenting an autistic character well. This story truly gives the world a story that will linger in their hearts and bring them to tears every time they watch.
The story shares an important message of the power of empathy and taking steps to understand what someone is going through rather than passing judgment. This story is also particularly important this April, which is Autism Acceptance Month as it presents a good representation of Autism in a world of film and television where it is hard to find.
Loop is frankly an extremely important short that somehow manages to do what few others have done well. Every single person should take seven minutes out of their day to watch this short. Loop will remind you of the importance of empathy and understanding and remind you to be just a bit kinder than you were yesterday.