#HotDocs24 Review: The Ride Ahead

By John Corrado

The 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 25th to May 5th in Toronto

In the New York Times short documentary My Disability Road Map, Samuel Habib and his filmmaker dad Dan offered a wonderful portrait of trying to navigate the world as a young adult with a physical disability, who uses a wheelchair and communication device. The father and son co-directors expand this to feature length in The Ride Ahead, an engaging look at Sam’s quest for more independence.

Sam is embarking on a project of interviewing other notable people with disabilities, and asking them questions about how to be an adult (including having a relationship and, you know, sex). The subjects include standup comedian Maysoon Zayid, who finds humour helpful, and disability rights activist Judith Heumann (featured in the Oscar-nominated Crip Camp), who reflects on how far the world has come in terms of accessibility, even if there is still a way’s to go.

Despite the support of his father and older brother, who takes him to get tattoos, Sam is still met with the frustration of people who talk to him like a child instead of an adult. The film shows the patronizing way he is treated by others, including then-candidate Joe Biden at a campaign stop, who hilariously starts stroking his cheek like a child (at least he didn’t sniff his hair). For the record, Sam says he will still vote for him, but admits this is weird.

“No one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a disability,” Sam says at one point. There are setbacks that he faces (including airlines that keep damaging his expensive wheelchair), but also moments of candid humour, as Sam tries to enter the world of college and dating like any other guy in his early-20s. Finally, The Ride Ahead does a good job highlighting the importance of representation and having people with disabilities tell their own stories, which makes Samuel a compelling voice.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)