‘Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie’ (2026) review – Deaf bodybuilder’s drive is clear, but other details, less so

This review – like the documentary itself – discusses sexual assault and suicide. Please take care when reading and click off this article if these subjects are triggering to you.Help and support is available. If you are experiencing feelings of distress or struggling to cope, visit Befrienders Worldwide to find details of your local helpline. For those affected by rape and sexual assault, Find A Helpline lists local organisations which offer support. Just over a year since deaf actor Marlee Matlin was the subject of her own documentary, Not Alone Anymore, the CODA star now fronts a new film chronicling the life of deaf bodybuilder Shelley Beattie, its title – Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie – referencing the moniker she was given during her time on the American series of Gladiators, as well as her struggles with bipolar disorder and depression. Tragically, while Matlin notices a number of parallels between her and Beattie, their paths never crossed before she died by suicide in 2008 aged just 40. The most interesting thing about this film, though, is that many deaf people will likely resonate with her experiences around advocating for herself. We, like Beattie, may not have come across another deaf person growing up; we may have dealt with misinformed comments about our relationship with music (Beattie could feel the bass when performing her dance routines); and we all ask for respect rather than sympathy from others, who may not believe in our potential. For deaf signers, failures around the provision of interpreters for Beattie, including at some of her most vulnerable moments towards the end of her life, will be painfully familiar. John Romano, Beattie’s partner of six years and trainer, is the most insightful and enlightening when it comes to getting a sense of the sportswoman, often using vivid metaphors to describe her. He talks about Beattie’s need to “pack on” armour due to her trauma, for which bodybuilding was the way to do it, and how her time on Gladiators as Siren was a “conduit to peek out” from behind said armour. She had, he says, a “cocoon of focus” as a deaf person, and I think every deaf individual can relate to the idea of society’s barriers making us more resolute when it comes to what we want to achieve. Matlin narrates the documentary – in addition to playing an active role speaking to those who knew Beattie – noting that because the woman in question is no longer with us, she will “voice for her”. We sometimes hear from Beattie herself in old recordings, and stunning animations breathe new life into her artwork, but director Irene Taylor doesn’t provide any reference or citations for the comments spoken by Matlin. We don’t know if they’re from diary entries, other pieces of writing, or something more speculative. A similar lack of clarity and detail is present when it emerges Beattie sexually assaulted women and, as a result, lost her place on a sailing team (though, again, we don’t know if an animation of handwriting saying “lost position on sailing team after sexually assaulting women” is based on anything Beattie herself wrote or said). While the whole documentary presents a nuanced and detailed look at a deaf woman who was both hard-working but troubled, the same depth and consideration isn’t afforded to this serious incident – which one contributor describes as rape – instead seemingly housing it within Beattie’s wider issues around mental health and addiction. We hear about how she “felt so bad” about her actions and how she was sobbing and crying afterwards, as well as the pain of her distress and the discovery of suicide notes in her locker, but never directly from one of her victims. When the rest of the documentary uses multiple perspectives to construct an image of Beattie, it’s frustrating and concerning that this particular part of her life story comes across as one-sided. As such, Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie doesn’t explore every detail of the Gladiator’s life effectively, but it does present a powerful portrait of a deaf woman’s strength and determination. Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beatie debuts on HBO on 22 September, before streaming on HBO Max. Images: Vermilion Films/HBO.