Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think You Might Fail – Review and Summary

While most focus on the physical transformation trans people go through, the mental and emotional gets displayed in this short.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think You Might Fail” Film Details

Movie Summary

Mad just had top surgery and while their mom Nora is helping, the main person they want to nurse them back to health is Kat. Unfortunately for Mad, Kat has a life outside of them and as Mad tries to adjust to their body looking and feeling a certain type of way, they begin to get insecure and leave you to wonder, just as Mad comes into their own, could it mean the end of their relationship?

Cast and Characters

Mad (Lio Mehiel)

Mad (Lio Mehiel) and Kat (Sadie Scott) – Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think You Might Fail
  • Character Summary: After recently getting top surgery, Mad is in a very vulnerable place. They are worried about how their chest looks, their relationship now that they have made a physical transformation, and are trying to navigate a mom who means well, but can be a lot.

Nora (Phyllis Ellis)

  • Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
  • Character Summary: Nora is Mad’s mother, who is a smoker who isn’t proud of the habit, and tries to be open and embrace their child’s transition and being a good ally.

Kat (Sadie Scott)

  • Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
  • Character Summary: Kat is Mad’s girlfriend, who is doing her best to support Mad, but the physical support is a bit easier than the emotional and mental support Mad is asking for.

What To Expect In “Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think You Might Fail” (Not Rated) – Content Overview

  • Sexual Content:
    • Nudity: Non-Sexual
  • Miscellaneous:
    • Smoking: Yes

Overall

Our Rating (86/100): Positive (Worth Seeing) – Recommended  

Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think You Might Fail is one of the first shorts I’ve seen twice, with seeing it originally at Sundance (and being too overwhelmed to do a proper write-up). But, as in January and now in October, I feel that it is undeniable that Lio Mehiel, with the right role, could win major accolades, outside the LGBT+ realm. For as Mad, while it is starting to feel like Mehiel is slowly but surely becoming the face of trans men, if we are to put someone on that pedestal, they deserve it.

In how they showcase Mad’s transition as more of a personal thing, not something which feels like transitioning in their community, it almost makes it feel like Mehiel is trying to, with each character we’ve seen them play, craft the whole experience in stages—maybe not in a linear narrative, or in the same production, but in bits and pieces, showing that there are stories to tell that don’t get the marketing they should.

Leaving you hoping to see, like how trans women and the rest of the community have gotten past the coming out, the trauma, and have moved on to other types of stories, trans men will get the same treatment. Be it with Mehiel, who is becoming one of the most visible trans male actors, or one of their peers.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.