Music

Australian pop star Sia makes her directorial debut with one of the worst movies in years. This offensive portrayal of someone with autism is difficult to watch for so many reasons.

When the Internet community begins to create a backlash against a movie that hasn't even come out yet, I'm usually slightly skeptical.

I know how people like to give opinions on things they haven't even seen and outdo one another when it comes to expressing outrage.

After its surprise Golden Globe nominations, pressure began to mount to "cancel" the new film "Music," which portrays a young autistic girl played by neurotypical actress Maddie Ziegler. Online activists said that, based on the trailer, it was offensive to those with disabilities. Some called it an "ableist minstrel show."

Now that I've seen this movie, I can say that, for once, the Internet outrage is completely justified. I'm not an advocate of cancel culture but this film should never have seen the light of day.

That's because this movie is not only offensive to those with autism, it's offensive to anyone who likes movies.

Yes, in mid-February we might have landed on the worst film of 2021. (Currently, it's at 17 percent on Rotten Tomatoes).

A bizarre vanity project by pop star Sia in her directorial debut, "Music" is an example of a film in which every wrong decision was made.

It's so terrible, I'm not sure where to begin.

I suppose I'll start with the casting of Ziegler. Many people online say it would have been better to cast someone with autism in this role and I have to agree.

It's been a fierce debate quite recently, especially after Zach Gottsagen, who has Down Syndrome, gave such a great performance in 2019's "The Peanut Butter Falcon."

Some say actors are paid to be someone they're not and as long as they're not playing a stereotype, then it's OK.

Oscar-winning actors like Sean Penn, Cuba Gooding Jr., Billy Bob Thornton, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks have all played characters with disabilities with mixed results. Some even won Oscars for that specific performance.

We've seen TV actors play autistic characters like Freddie Highmore in "The Good Doctor" and Keir Gilchrist in "Atypical." Even Sheldon on "Big Bang Theory" seemed to be slightly on the spectrum. None of these actors are autistic.

I'm not sure where I fall on these debate but I will say this: it is very difficult -- but not impossible -- for a neurotypical actor to play someone with a disability well. It's a balancing act from being too subtle or too over the top. It's really, really hard. And some great Oscar-winning actors have failed miserably at this.

No offense to Maddie Ziegler, but she was not up to the task. Her resume mostly includes dancing in music videos for Sia. She did have a very small role in "The Book of Henry," which was one of the worst movies of 2017.

Ziegler belts out guttural groans and contorts her face in ways that make me wince and cringe. Her performance makes Ben Stiller's "Simple Jack" character in "Tropic Thunder" look subtle by comparison.

It's so awkward that it's literally difficult for me to look at the screen when she's acting. It feels like she's mocking people with disabilities. There's no other way to put it.

Ziegler's character, nicknamed Music because she listens to headphones all the time, is not particularly well developed in the movie. The only time we learn more about her is when she escapes into the world inside her brain during candy-color-coated musical sequences that look like something out of "Yo Gabba Gabba." These bizarre abstract dance sequences aren't even interesting in their strangeness. And there are 10 -- yes 10 -- of these songs written by Sia in this movie. She's a good songwriter but the out-of-place interruptions are so groan inducing that you feel embarrassed for the actors and dancers involved.

Kate Hudson is incredibly miscast as a former drug addict (and still a drug dealer??) who takes over guardianship of Music after her grandmother dies. Hudson, the child of Hollywood royalty, doesn't exhibit any of the rough edges of someone overcoming addiction. Her big attempt is to shave her head to look tougher, but still maintains her athletic physique that comes from a strict diet. We get to see a lot of Hudson's body as she never seems to wear a shirt and it's been well known that she's a workout nut in real life, admitting to exercising for hours and hours every day. The result is she doesn't look "crackhead skinny" but like a housewife who does a lot of pilates.

Besides maybe her role in "Almost Famous," Hudson has never been an amazing actress and she isn't given great material to work with. Sia also co-wrote the screenplay and it's filled with cliches about how someone with disabilities helps this broken person who can't seem to get her shit together.

"I'm gonna help her. Just like she helps me," Hudson's character says. "I'm actually learning how to love because I love her."

In the end, Ziegler's character is reduced to nothing more than a prop. Not a real human being.

Leslie Odom Jr., who seems like to score an Oscar nomination this year for "One Night in Miami," gives a decent performance as an African man living next door who helps Music. He becomes a love interest for Hudson and there is absolutely no chemistry between the two. Odom is doing his best and hopefully this won't "Norbit" his Oscar chances (a reference to when Eddie Murphy was snubbed for "Dreamgirls" because of the embarrassing fat-suit comedy that came out the same year).

The entire movie seems like the epitome of a vanity project. In interviews, Sia said that she directed some of her music videos and felt confident enough to tackle a feature length film. She directs, writes, produces and sings with a confidence that would be admirable if it wasn't used to create something so offensive, cliche and dull.

Sia doesn't reach the heights of cult-favorite rocker-turned-director Rob Zombie. Heck, she's not even as good as Fred Durst.

Even her one scene in the movie in which she acts is just awful. Kate Hudson shows up at some fancy offices to sell painkillers to Sia, playing herself. Apparently she buys from drug dealers to give to kids in third world nations. She jokes that it's "Pop Stars Without Borders." You wonder if Sia has actually done this in real life.

The most ridiculous thing is Sia's movie could have been even worse than it actually is. Apparently she rushed to remove a scene in which Music is restrained by straps when she's having a hard time.

If she decides to write and direct another movie, maybe someone should restrain Sia instead.