The 2025 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge spotlights the Thriller/Suspense genre, which suits us just fine. We’ve always liked movies that make us squirm in our seat, and this year’s crop of entries doesn’t disappoint. There’s a bloodthirsty prosthesis, an axe-wielding serial killer, and assorted fugitives, body snatchers, cops, and con artists.
About a dozen of the 120-plus films feature amputee talent, including four previous EDFC award winners/nominees. We’ve got links to all of those entries, along with our knee-jerk reviews. If you want to browse through the rest of the 2025 catalog (and we’d encourage you to do so), check out this playlist on YouTube.
Caught
What it’s about: You’ve seen this setup before: Two young women hiking in the woods encounter a creepy recluse chopping wood in front of his dirt-floor cabin, and—classic slasher-movie mistake—they innocently ask to fill up their water bottles. The tension ratchets up from there, culminating in a memorable finale. Impressively, Caught is shot in a single, continuous five-minute take. We think it’s one of the best EDFC entries ever.
Who’s involved: Photographer and model Sam Tokita co-stars as the more sensible of the hapless hikers—i.e., the one who’s quickest to recognize the deadly trap they’re walking into. Sydney Mesher, best known as the Radio City Rockettes’ first amputee member, has a role behind the scenes.
Everhand
What it’s about: A struggling farmer, facing foreclosure, succumbs to an optimistic sales pitch about a life-changing technological innovation—a superhuman bionic hand. But like many a farmer (and amputee) before him, he discovers that progress often comes at a very high price. The assistive device has its own agenda, and its “life-changing” effects aren’t at all what the buyer had in mind. If you don’t mind a tiny bit of (fake) blood and some foaming at the mouth, you’ll get a kick out of this flick.
Who’s involved: Lee Cleaveland, a former EDFC nominee for best writing, stars in another excellent entry (he also co-produced).
The Deadline
What it’s about: Now here’s an awesome concept: An EDFC thriller about….the making of an EDFC thriller. In this case, a crew member gets carjacked while attempting to deliver his film’s completed footage to the project editor. Every EDFC film is an inherently suspenseful endeavor that’s completed under intense time pressure, where a single false move could have terrible consequences. But usually not this terrible….
Who’s involved: Melanie Waldman, an unofficial EDFC Hall-of-Famer, has a supporting role.
The Prosthe…tive?
What it’s about: Not to be confused with the classic Harrison Ford / Tommy Lee Jones movie featuring an amputee assassin, this cop drama is light on suspense but heavy on satire. The lead detective abuses just about every disability cliche in the book and, unable to conjure the word “prosthetist,” settles on “computerized biological leg mechanic.” We LOL’d.
Who’s involved: First-time EDFC entrant Victor Clarke wrote, produced, and co-directed. Perennial EDFC stalwart Angel Giuffria co-stars as the precinct office manager who cracks the case and makes her bumbling boss look good.
Don’t Take This the Wrong Way
What it’s about: Nonchalant ableism, lazy stereotypes, and even outright bigotry against people with disabilities are rampant enough to drive a person crazy. Crazy enough to kill the clueless able-bodies who commit such trangressions? Yeah, maybe. Here’s what that might look like . . . .
Who’s involved: Multi-time EDFC award-winner and nominee Rachel Handler stars, writes, co-directs, and co-produces.
Watch Don’t Take This the Wrong Way.
Fritarex
What it’s about: Here’s a Big Pharma executive’s biggest nightmare: a double-blind clinical trial in which they’re the subject, instead of the all-powerful drug researcher who’s calling the shots. And the variable being tested for seems to be moral deficiency. Is there a pill in existence that can remedy a broken conscience? And is there any profit to be made off it?
Who’s involved: Previous award-winner Sommer Carbuccia stars and co-produced; he’s also co-credited for story development.
Broken
What it’s about: A single dad taking care of his infant child is haunted by perceptions—some real, some imagined (?)—that his disability will be held against him in an upcoming custody battle. The denouement can be taken any number of ways; we’re still puzzling over it.
Who’s involved: Nickolas Main, in his third EDFC outing, stars, co-directed, and co-wrote.
The Body Reset
What it’s about: When a corporation markets a miracle cure that promises to “re-able the disabled with one small pill,” there’s only one sane thing to do: run as far and as fast as your prosthetic limbs will carry you.
Who’s involved: First-time filmmaker Victoria Eidenvall stars, wrote, and directed.
Noises
What it’s about: Childhood is scary enough for nondisabled youngsters. All the more so when you’re missing a limb.
Who’s involved: Colin Ashe, who co-starred in one of our favorite 2024 entries, is back for his second EDFC appearance.
I Deserve This?
What it’s about: A congenital, bilateral lower-limb amputee confronts an unknown listener (a parent? God? the universe?) and asks exactly what he’s done to deserve the punishing burdens of his disability.
Who’s involved: We’re not sure! There are no credits for this film.
The Mark
What it’s about: A young man is hounded by judgmental voices that constantly tell him his limb difference marks him as inferior. Is there any way out?
Who’s involved: Esteban Noyola stars, wrote, and directed in his first EFDC entry.
