The Non-Actor

Name: The Non-Actor
Director: Eliza Barry Callahan
Genre: Drama
Released: 2025-02-02
Duration: 18 min
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Victoria Pedretti, Maya Hawke, Oliver Agger, Nate Pennebaker, Kate Fitzsimmons

202518 min★6.5 (9 votes)

Drama

Overview

Elliot is staying with her ex’s new girlfriend while attending a medical trial for her recent, unexplained loss of hearing. As she reconfigures her relationship with her (sonic) environment and herself, an intimate connection sparks between the two women.

Original Language:EN

Where to Watch The Non-Actor

In United States, you can stream it on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel. Availability may change over time.

You can watch The Non-Actor on MUBI and MUBI Amazon Channel.

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Availability and provider information are provided by JustWatch (on behalf of TMDB). Availability may change.

Should you watch The Non-Actor?

The Non-Actor is worth watching if you want a compact, character-focused drama rather than a plot-driven feature. In 18 minutes, Eliza Barry Callahan turns her own semi-autobiographical novel, The Hearing Test, into a quiet story about hearing loss, changing relationships, and an unexpected connection between two women played by Victoria Pedretti and Maya Hawke. It is not a documentary, not a resource about acting technique, and not built for viewers who want a longer, plot-heavy film — but for anyone interested in literary short films, festival cinema, or a focused two-hander from two well-known actors, The Non-Actor movie is a reasonable, low-commitment watch, now available to stream on MUBI.

Why watch this movie?

The Non-Actor is a short drama directed by Eliza Barry Callahan, and despite the title, it is not an acting guide, a documentary about performers, or a general reference to the phrase "non-actor" — it is a specific, 18-minute narrative film. According to TMDB, The Non-Actor plot follows Elliot, who is staying with her ex's new girlfriend, Bella, while attending a medical trial for a recent, unexplained loss of hearing. As Elliot reconfigures her relationship with sound, her surroundings, and herself, an intimate connection develops between the two women. The film is a loose adaptation of Callahan's own semi-autobiographical novel, The Hearing Test, which grounds the story in lived experience even though it remains a fictionalized, scripted drama rather than a documentary. With a compact runtime built for one focused sitting, The Non-Actor movie plays as an intimate character study rather than a plot-heavy feature, and its Drama classification on TMDB reflects that quieter, character-driven register. Interest in the film has been building steadily since it premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2025, helped along by its cast, its literary source material, and its arrival on the streaming service MUBI in mid-2026, which gave many viewers their first real chance to watch it outside the festival circuit.

Who should watch it?

The Non-Actor is best suited to viewers who enjoy independent, character-driven short films over plot-heavy features — this is an 18-minute two-hander, not a full-length drama, so expect mood and interiority rather than a conventional three-act structure. It should appeal to fans of quiet, literary indie cinema, festival-circuit short films, and stories about identity, connection, and adjusting to change that unfold through small, intimate moments rather than big plot turns. The Non-Actor cast is a major part of the appeal: Victoria Pedretti, known for The Haunting of Bly Manor, leads as Elliot, while Maya Hawke, known for Stranger Things, plays Bella, and their scenes together carry most of the film's runtime. Writer-director Eliza Barry Callahan, adapting her own novel The Hearing Test, brings a personal, semi-autobiographical perspective that may interest viewers who follow literary adaptations or filmmakers translating their own books to the screen. Because the story centers on an emerging connection between its two female leads, the film has also been described elsewhere as a queer or sapphic short drama, and it is likely to resonate with viewers specifically seeking that kind of story. Viewers expecting a documentary, a movie about the acting profession, or a large ensemble cast should look elsewhere.

Trailer

Cast

Victoria Pedretti

Elliot

Maya Hawke

Bella

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Pros

The Non-Actor cast pairs Victoria Pedretti (The Haunting of Bly Manor) with Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) in a two-hander built almost entirely around their scenes together, giving the film a focused, performance-driven core despite its short runtime.
Writer-director Eliza Barry Callahan adapts her own semi-autobiographical novel, The Hearing Test, giving The Non-Actor a personal, literary foundation rather than a generic short-film premise.
A confirmed festival pedigree: TMDB and festival programming pages list The Non-Actor's premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2025, followed by screenings at the Woodstock Film Festival, the Chicago Film Festival, and Film Fest Gent.
At 18 minutes, The Non-Actor movie is easy to fit into a single sitting, making it a low-commitment way to see Pedretti and Hawke together or sample Callahan's filmmaking voice before seeking out longer work from either.
The premise is distinctive rather than familiar: building a story around hearing loss, sensory adjustment, and an unexpected connection during a medical trial gives the film a specific, grounded hook instead of a standard romance setup.

If you liked this movie

Movies like The Non-Actor tend to share its quiet, character-driven register more than its short runtime. For another story centered on sensory identity and adjustment, Sound of Metal follows a musician adapting to sudden hearing loss with the same attention to interior experience. For intimate, dialogue-light connections between two women, Weekend and Portrait of a Lady on Fire both build an entire story around a short window of closeness, in a similar spirit to what Callahan does in 18 minutes. Passages also explores a relationship entangled with an ex-partner, though with a longer runtime and a different tone. Viewers drawn to Callahan's literary, semi-autobiographical approach may also appreciate Certain Women and Aftersun, both known for restrained, mood-driven storytelling over plot mechanics. None of these titles are official TMDB recommendations for The Non-Actor; they are grouped here because they share its themes of identity, sensory or emotional adjustment, and quiet intimacy.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Non-Actor about?

The Non-Actor follows Elliot, who stays with her ex's new girlfriend, Bella, while attending a medical trial for a recent, unexplained loss of hearing. As Elliot adjusts to her changing relationship with sound and her surroundings, an intimate connection develops between the two women. The film is a loose adaptation of director Eliza Barry Callahan's semi-autobiographical novel, The Hearing Test.

What genre is The Non-Actor?

The Non-Actor is classified as a Drama on TMDB. It is an 18-minute short film with a quiet, character-driven tone rather than a plot-heavy structure, and it is not a comedy or a documentary.

Who stars in The Non-Actor?

The Non-Actor cast is led by Victoria Pedretti as Elliot and Maya Hawke as Bella. The film is built almost entirely around their scenes together, with a small supporting cast in additional roles.

Who directed The Non-Actor?

The Non-Actor was written and directed by Eliza Barry Callahan, who adapted the screenplay from her own semi-autobiographical novel, The Hearing Test.

When was The Non-Actor released?

TMDB lists The Non-Actor's release date as February 2, 2025, tied to its premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. It went on to screen at additional festivals, including the Woodstock Film Festival in October 2025, before becoming available to stream in mid-2026.

Is The Non-Actor based on a true story?

Not exactly. The Non-Actor is a loose adaptation of Eliza Barry Callahan's semi-autobiographical novel, The Hearing Test, so it draws on personal experience, but it remains a fictionalized, scripted drama rather than a documentary or a literal true story. TMDB and festival sources do not specify which scenes reflect real events.

Is The Non-Actor a documentary?

No. The Non-Actor film is a scripted narrative short film in the Drama genre, not a documentary, even though it is inspired by the director's own life.

Where can I watch The Non-Actor?

The Non-Actor is available to stream on MUBI, based on current provider listings. Streaming options can change over time, so check the Watch providers section on this page for the most up-to-date availability in your region.

What movies are similar to The Non-Actor?

If you enjoyed The Non-Actor, consider Sound of Metal for a similar focus on sensory identity and adjustment, or Weekend and Portrait of a Lady on Fire for other quiet, intimate two-hander dramas. These are editorial comparisons based on shared themes rather than official TMDB recommendations.