The Stimming Pool Review: Diving into Autism

The Stimming Pool is a documentary that blends fantastical elements with traditional techniques to share what it is like to live as an autistic person.

The Stimming Pool opens with Robin Elliott-Knowles and his father reviewing a list of zombie films that they could screen for the B-movie fan club they host. We see the comfort that he has, sitting at a table and working on a piece of art, but then, when they are at the event prior to the screening, his discomfort becomes a bit more evident. Yet, as Elliott-Knowles introduces the film, we can see him settling into this area where he seems more at ease again, showing that it’s not as simple as large crowds being too much.

That dynamic is displayed throughout the film. Neurotypical people often have ideas about autism that are based on some fact but lack nuance. Through this experimental documentary, we can begin to see how these broad assumptions may actually make life more difficult for autistic people. When ideas about neurodiversity are pasted onto real people, it can cause them to “mask” or conceal how they are truly feeling. 

We gain understanding as The Stimming Pool combines traditional documentary elements with some more fantastical scenes. In an early portion of the film, Sam Chow Ahern is taking a cognitive test. We see that even trying to understand autism from a clinical perspective can be difficult, as she wonders aloud how to answer some of the questions on the form. As she fills this out, the camera pans around the waiting room, landing on a little girl with her mother. They are reading a book about Chess, a border collie who has some anxiety in overwhelming situations. 

When Sam begins an eye-tracking test to see what keeps her attention, the camera focuses on the video on the screen. Red dots and lines begin to appear as we go inside the test, and the scene gains sound and chaos, making the viewer unsure if we are watching her test or what life looks like for Sam when she is out in the world. As The Stimming Pool progresses, we see elements of the story about Chess being played out by a largely unseen Lucy Walker in a superhero dog costume. These fanciful elements run through the film, expanding the audience’s understanding of what the filmmakers experience.

The most challenging part about The Stimming Pool is that there is no real narrative throughline. This is far less a day in the life of an autistic person and far more an attempt to put the viewer into the mindset of the neurodiverse. This does mean that, at times, it can feel difficult to know exactly what is going on or what purpose it serves. The experimental elements, paired with the short run time of just 67 minutes, left me feeling confused at various points in the viewing.

But perhaps that confusion is the point. There is an expectation autistic people fit into society regardless of their comfort level. To behave in ways that make their neurotypical counterparts feel relaxed rather than accommodations that can work for everyone. Through The Stimming Pool, the filmmakers embrace the opportunity to do what makes them the most comfortable. If we are looking to understand autism, listening to autistic voices is a good first step.

The Stimming Pool will be released in UK cinemas on March 28, 2025.