Finding Connection in “Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie”

Content warning: Mental illness, language deprivation, and suicide.

TGDN Network reporter Rikki Poynter has participated in this year’s Seattle Deaf Film Festival, covering the event through a series of videos and articles. In this review, she looks closely at Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie, a 103-minute HBO Max documentary dedicated to the life of Deaf bodybuilder and actress Shelley “Siren” Beattie. Produced by Irene Taylor—a CODA who also directed—alongside Deaf actress, producer, and narrator Marlee Matlin, the film premiered at DOC NYC and screened at the Deaf Way Film Festival in October 2025.​

The making of “Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie”

The documentary guides viewers chronologically through Beattie’s life, starting with her childhood. Shelley became Deaf at three years old following an aspirin overdose, eventually learning both spoken English and American Sign Language (ASL) after undergoing speech therapy. Emotional outbursts at home led to a turbulent adolescence spent moving through foster homes, leaving her deeply isolated by her deafness. To cope with her internal struggles and what was later diagnosed as bipolar disorder, Beattie turned to sports. She began in track and field before an injury prompted her pivot to bodybuilding, where she won multiple competitions before retiring. On February 16, 2008, at age 40, Beattie died by suicide after years of battling her illness.​

Mental illness is common in the Deaf community.

Beattie’s life deeply resonated with my own personal background. I was not diagnosed with hearing loss until age 11 and did not begin learning ASL until my early twenties. Navigating school and social settings required a constant reliance on lipreading; without hearing aids until 2021, communication grew increasingly difficult as my hearing loss progressed.

Knowing no other Deaf people during my youth led to isolation after high school, keeping me largely homebound until I earned my driver’s license at 20 or 21. I eventually turned to the internet to share my reality as an isolated deaf individual who grew up outside the Deaf community, finally finding belonging online.

Mental health struggles like depression and trauma are widespread among deaf children and adults. With 90% born to hearing parents who rarely learn sign language, language deprivation and communication barriers exact a heavy emotional toll—making Beattie’s struggles a reality that is far too common.

All facets of Beattie

“Siren” shows a multi-faceted Beattie – her good and bad sides; her successes and shortcomings. “Siren” is authentic. To convey Beattie’s feelings and emotions accurately, archival video clips and journal entries are used to tell her story. We saw her when she was happy, doing things she loved like working out, making meals, and spending time with her loved ones, and engaging with Deaf students at Deaf schools.

At the same time, we also saw her struggles with fitting in with both hearing and Deaf worlds, with her feeling too “hearing” for the Deaf world yet too “Deaf” for the hearing world, and her battle with bipolar disorder. Even though her diagnosis was unknown for large parts of her life, she expressed her challenges through her art and writing in her journal. The film made sure to be very thoughtful in the way they talked about Beattie’s mental health, since she could not speak for herself. Whenever her siblings were interviewed, they were careful with their wording and respectful towards Beattie.

With a mix of old personal video clips of Beattie, footage of her bodybuilding and game show competitions, and interviews with friends and family,  the film beautifully balances showing Beattie as a role model with portraying some of the most challenging areas of life for the community.

Besides CODA director Taylor, popular actress Marlee Matlin acts as the producer but also interviews some of Beattie’s friends. Matlin brings deep empathy to the project as someone who also entered the Deaf community later in life and faced personal challenges as one of the few Deaf actors in the film industry.

Matlin’s involvement creates a full-circle moment, since both Beattie and Matlin shared a passion for helping Deaf youth embrace their identity. If the documentary has one flaw, it is the opening monologue by Matlin. Running 5 to 10 minutes too long, it takes precious screen time away from Beattie. I understand having Matlin give the introduction brings an audience, and who does not love Matlin on camera, but I am primarily watching this for Beattie.

The most memorable parts of the story are the clips of her signing in college and the day she spent at the Deaf school with the Deaf kids. The kids were so happy to see her, so inspired by her. And even as someone with no connection to bodybuilding, I must admit I could not take my eyes off Beattie posing at competitions. She is a beautiful woman who has put so much time and effort into her physique.

A role model I wish I had

Now 35—just five years younger than Beattie was when she passed—I view her as the role model I desperately needed growing up: someone who wanted to encourage Deaf children to follow their dreams. Ultimately, “Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie” is a moving portrait of a woman who broke barriers while fighting an invisible battle few understood. While the film celebrates Beattie as an icon, it is also a call to action for accessibility in the Deaf community and a reminder of the importance of mental health care.  

“Siren” is a must-watch for both hearing people and the Deaf community. When watching “Siren”, the hearing world will understand the nuanced realities of Deaf identity. In contrast, the Deaf community will see a reflection of our shared experiences and a reminder of our incredible resilience in overcoming pain together.

“Siren” will be available to view on HBO Max starting September 22, 2026.