Written and directed by Mekhai Lee, Them That’s Not is an intimate short drama about a young woman coping with grief, family obligation, and emotional distance as the house fills with relatives and unresolved history.
Andrea “Drea” Stoney (Angel Theory) arrives at her grandmother’s brownstone for the family repass. Drea is deaf, so she doesn’t hear her aunts and other family members arrive. None of them bothered to learn sign language to communicate with Drea or understand how best to position themselves for lip-reading. As food is being prepared, Drea stands off to the side feeling disconnected from everyone else, and she drifts into one of the bedrooms with an incredible view of the city.
Aunt Carol (Carrie Compere) tries to talk to Drea. She attempts a bit of small talk, handing Drea her grandmother’s urn and offering the obligatory, “If you need anything, I’m here for you.” The conversation remains strained as Aunt Carol is distracted. Making matters worse comes the arrival of Drea’s father, Samuel Stoney (Biko Eisen-Martin), who has been granted a one-day prison furlough to attend his mother’s repass. Estranged for years, Drea intentionally avoids him, but when she slips into the bedroom, her father follows.
Andrea “Drea” Stoney (Angel Theory) navigates grief and disconnection during her grandmother’s repass.
“…Drea’s father, Samuel Stoney, who has been granted a one-day prison furlough to attend his mother’s repass.”
According to director Mekhai Lee, Them That’s Not was born out of his experience surrounding the passing of his own grandmother. It explores the way grief can feel isolating within a family setting, particularly for those closest to the deceased. He talks about recognizing “connective tissue in that isolation” across various communities, such as identifying as queer within a heteronormative family or being hard-of-hearing among entirely hearing relatives, which informed the film’s emotional landscape.
What Lee does so well is convey the sense of isolation Drea feels in a crowded house. We feel her frustration when she gets only part of a sentence from her relatives, who won’t look at her or talk to her while she’s standing in the room. Emotionally, it all leads to the final moments with her father, which shows why film is an excellent medium for emotional performances. Even the extrovert will feel alone in a crowd.
Them That’s Not ultimately underscores how shared grief can force people to truly see one another, even when long separation has made family relationships feel impossible.
For more information, visit the Them That’s Not official website,
"…shows why film is an excellent medium for emotional performances."
