Updated: 2021/12/10
Video on demand streaming services are changing the way we enjoy movies and TV series, and Sign Language is more and more present. Here you have a list of 35 movies and series in streaming in USA, in which you will both small and big roles from Sign Language.
The list is updated on 10 December 2021 and sorted by the rating of the large IMDB database.
35. Congo
Between adventures and science fiction, the years have made a dent in this movie that was not well received in its day, but with which we can enjoy gorillas communicating in sign language. It should be borne in mind that this movie is from 1995, so it is one of the movies in this list that earlier introduced Sign Language.
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34. The Silence
Series strongly inspired by the idea of the movie "A Quiet Place" (below). Although the series has been widely criticized, both for its quality and for the poor preparation of the actors and actresses in sign language (the famous deaf model Nyle DiMarco has reported it), it is a clear example of the pull that Sign Language is having in the cinema and on television.
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33. Unfriended: Dark Web
This thriller happens in real time through the computer screen. Stephanie Nogueras, an American deaf actress of Puerto Rican descent who became especially popular in the series Switched at Birth, has a small role.
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32. Rampage
You can't miss Dwayne Johnson communicating in Sign Language with her gorilla George. Spectacular special effects for a very entertaining time.
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31. Wonderstruck
Mystery movie that brought to fame the young Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds. It tells the fantasy story of a Deaf girl from 1927 who meets another Deaf boy from 1977. Actress Julianne Moore also had to learn Sign Language to play her role.
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30. Boy Missing
This is probably the first play of a Deaf child in a Spanish movie and his debut was very much appreciated. His name is Marc Domenech and he was 11 years old when he starred in it.
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29. Black Lightning
In episodes 6 and 7 of this series from the DC Universe you can see in a small role the Deaf actor Warren Snipe.
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28. Black Summer
If you like the Z-Nation zombie series, you'll also enjoy Black Summer, a Z-Nation spin-off. In three of the episodes of the series works Mustafa Alabssi, Deaf in real life who was also news for being a refugee who escaped from Syria when the war broke out in his country. Passing through Jordan and arriving to Canada, he learned English and American Sign Language, and was finally chosen to star in this series.
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27. Hush
Although the actress is not Deaf in real life, she did an important effort to make her Sign Language seem as natural as possible. The movie has great successes such as having found a way to give fear to a Deaf person without the use of sound and for the viewer to suffer with it.
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26. Sicario: Day of the Soldado
In this movie, you can see an interesting scene in which actor Benicio del Toro meets a Deaf peasant. The idea of this scene was Benicio's own and was well received by the director to introduce a moment of calm in the movie after a moment of great intensity and violence.
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25. Four Weddings and a Funeral
A legendary comedy of the 90's that does not go out of fashion and in which you can see small performances of one of the family members at weddings, Deaf actor in real life.
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24. Brimstone
A thriller in the West, in which we can see actress Dakota Fanning communicating in a rudimentary form of Sign Language, as she was mute for reasons you must discover in the movie.
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23. The tribe
Multi-awarded film all over the world and praised by the critics who have the particularity of being completely filmed in Sign Language, without subtitles and without voiceover for the audience. The crudity of the images makes the plot perfectly understandable.
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22. Mr. Holland's Opus
It received good reviews and actor Richard Dreyfuss was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. But, in addition, every person in the film that portrayed a Deaf person is Deaf in real life, which gives more credibility to the film.
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21. Ginny & Georgia
Teenage series in which the father of the main characters' neighbours is Deaf and communicates with his family in Sign Language, naturally, without the artifice and sentimentality sometimes used in other series or films.
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20. Babel
Also winner of an Oscar and many international awards, this dramatic movie is set in Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico and Japan. The Japanese protagonist is Deaf and communicates in Sign Language.
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19. War for the Planet of the Apes
It is the last movie of the franchise "Planet of the Apes" but possibly the only one available on streaming platforms where we can see Caesar and his tribe communicating in Sign Language.
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18. Tales of the City
Real-life deaf actor Dickie Hearts, who you can also watch very briefly in Season 3 episode 13 of the series Gracie and Frankie, has a bigger role in this Netflix series on the LGTBIQ theme, as you can watch it in up to five episodes of the first season.
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17. The Politician
Critics applauded the work of the deaf actress Natasha Ofili, who they said "she controls every scene in which she appears". You can see her in four episodes of the first season in a strong role.
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16. A Quiet Place
The young Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds returns to star in a movie, this time of terror, in which a family survives a terrifying threat in complete silence, so they communicate in Sign Language.
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15. The Magicians
Marlee Matlin, Deaf actress and winner of an Oscar for Best Actress, is one of the stars in this series over seasons 2, 3 and 4. In particular, she appears in eight episodes of the series.
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14. Quantico
Once again, the Deaf actress Marlee Matlin is one of the stars of this series. She appears in all thirteen episodes of season 3.
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13. Baby Driver
In this critically acclaimed action thriller, veteran actor and comedian CJ Jones, deaf in real life, plays the role of the young protagonist's adoptive father.
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12. You
In episode 6 of the second season we can enjoy the Deaf actor Daniel Durant, one of the actors popularized with the series Switched at Birth and who is developing a prolific career in the theater.
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11. September
A film produced in Guatemala about a baby who becomes deaf after a terrorist attack, in which she also loses her mother.
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10. The Alienist
One of the characters in this successful Netflix series communicates in sign language: Mary, a mute woman hosted by Dr. Lazlo, played by the actress Q'orianka Kilcher.
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9. Castle Rock
This series of psychological terror just released has had a quick success and a second season is already planned. Consecrated Deaf actor CJ Jones surprises us again with a key role in episode 6 of the first season.
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8. The Miracle Worker
Despite the fact that this film is over 50 years old, it is a wonderful film about the life of deafblind Helen Keller and her mentor Ana Sullivan that won an Oscar for Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
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7. There Will Be Blood
In the Top 5, you will find this oscarized movie and considered one of the best 200 movies in history. Here, the young Deaf actor Russell Harvard has a small role.
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6. A Silent Voice
The only animated movie on this list, A Silent Voice delighted fans of manga comics of the same title that deals with the bullying that a Deaf student suffers when she changes schools. The film was very careful with the correct implementation of Sign Language in the animation.
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5. The Dragon Prince
In this recently released animation series on Netflix, described by some media as the Game of Thrones animation, in three episodes of the series appears a really key character called Amaya who, in addition to being Deaf and communicating in Sign Language, represents a strong and sensitive woman. The production team took great care in the animated representation of sign language.
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4. The Walking Dead
Deaf actress Lauren Ridloff plays an important role in season 9 and 10 of this long-time and successful zombie series. Lauren appears in 25 episodes until now.
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3. Dark
This series has been described as the German "Stranger Things" and has had an excellent acceptance, so much so that they are already preparing their second season. In three episodes appears a girl starring actress Carlotta von Falkenhayn who communicates in Sign Language.
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2. Fargo
The number 2 is for this series which is among the 25 best of all time. Based on the movie of the same name by the prolific and admired directors Cohen brothers, the Deaf actor Russell Harvard (whom we saw younger in the film There Will Be Blood), stars in 11 episodes of the three seasons so far. Season 4 is scheduled for 2020.
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1. Masters of None
An acclaimed series that Netlix is taking in stride, having only broadcast season 1 in 2015 and season 2 in 2017. The sixth episode of the second season focuses on a salesgirl, played by a real-life deaf actress and model, Treshelle Edmond.
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