Film Review: ‘No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care’

Michael Clark
6/26/2023
Updated:
1/5/2024

Following in the wake of “2000 Mules,” “My Son Hunter,” and “Died Suddenly,” “No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care” (“No Way”) is an independently produced, low-budget movie, which those in positions of power (and by extension their minions) do not want you or anyone else to see.

What differentiates “No Way” (original title: “Affirmation Generation”) from those other titles is that it was scheduled for wide theatrical release on June 21, yet on that same day, it was canceled by its sole exhibitor, AMC Theatres. Succumbing to pressure from special-interest fringe groups, particularly the Qt (queer/transgender) Project, AMC pulled the plug on “No Way” without so much as an announcement or advance notice to the producing studio, Deplorable Films.

For now, you can’t view “No Way,” but will be able to in relatively short order; more on that in a bit.

Apolitical and Unbiased

A documentary devoid of politics or bias of any sort, “No Way” is steeped in facts backed up by the testimonies of six “detransitioning” young adults, the opinions of a dozen medical, psychological, and social behavioral experts, and pesky little bothersome things like basic science and biology.

Directed, photographed, and edited by L.E. Dawes, “No Way” is divided into three parts: “Dysphoria,” “The Only Path,” and “Detransition.” Each chapter is chock full of charts, graphs, and other bits of powerful minutia that follow textbook cinematic storytelling technique. Dawes is careful not to overwhelm or bog down the viewer with hyperstylized information overload while striking a perfect balance between the data and human interest elements. The film is flawlessly executed.

Needless to say, the majority of what Dawes presents is revelatory and ear-pinning (which is probably why the Qt group and others fear it) and there’s far too much of it to lay out here, but there are some tidbits worth knowing going in.

According to the film, in 2011, less than 0.3 percent of American teens identified as transgender. In 2021, that number skyrocketed to 9 percent, a nearly 2,700 percent increase. The film also states that the current suicide rate among transgender individuals is 19 percent higher than non-transgender people.

AMC Theatres, the only distributor of the documentary, "No Way Back," cancelled the film on the day of its scheduled release without notice. (Colleen Michaels/Shutterstock)
AMC Theatres, the only distributor of the documentary, "No Way Back," cancelled the film on the day of its scheduled release without notice. (Colleen Michaels/Shutterstock)

Hijacked

Of late, many members of the former “LGB” community, whose mantra was “born this way,” have begun distancing themselves from the “T” faction, which essentially hijacked the movement and replaced the original mantra with the polar opposite “born in the wrong body.”

Although not expressly stated, the film makes the connection between the multitude of COVID-19 “vaccines” and the litany of drugs involved in the transitioning process, and the common bond is the participation and seemingly endless profits enjoyed by Big Pharma.

Perhaps the most distressing part of the movie in general, and the relentless pushing of the transgender lifestyle in particular, is what is known as “informed consent,” something practiced by several “healthcare professionals” and Planned Parenthood.

Boiled down, this abhorrent policy allows minors to begin the transitioning process not only without parental consent but also without any kind of physical examination or psychological testing. In the majority of U.S. states right now, minors—those who cannot legally drink, drive, join the armed forces, or even get a tattoo—can attempt to start what will eventually become a losing battle with their own DNA.

Stephanie Winn, one of the producers of "No Way Back." (American Thought Leaders)
Stephanie Winn, one of the producers of "No Way Back." (American Thought Leaders)
To clarify, although “No Way” was produced by a company named “Deplorable,” don’t think for a second that the movie is the work of far-right neocons—far from it. During the closing credit sequence, the names of Dawes and producers Vera Lindner, Joey Brite, and Stephanie Winn, and these words appear on the page describing them: “All life-long, West Coast, liberal democrats.”

Not Left Versus Right

This is no longer (if it ever was to begin with) a Left versus Right or lifestyle choice issue; it is, pure and simple, a child protection and antigrooming issue. Many on the far left (including singer Elton John) have feigned outrage over laws recently passed in states such as Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, North Dakota, and South Dakota that prohibit young children (third grade and below) from being exposed to sexually oriented material. None of these laws prohibit consenting adults from doing whatever they please with their own bodies, provided that it does not involve minors.

The sudden withdrawal on the part of AMC did succeed in stopping people from viewing “No Way” in theaters; however, Deplorable is now in the process of preparing the movie for release on DVD and on-demand, which should be sometime within the next 30 days.

Poster for "No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care." (Deplorable Films)
Poster for "No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care." (Deplorable Films)
If you wish to be notified when the movie can be viewed, register at NoWayBackFilm.com
‘No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care’ Documentary Director: L.E. Dawes Running Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes MPAA Rating: Not Rated Release Date: June 21, 2023 (canceled) Rating: 5 out of 5
Originally from Washington, D.C., Michael Clark has provided film content to over 30 print and online media outlets. He co-founded the Atlanta Film Critics Circle in 2017 and is a weekly contributor to the Shannon Burke Show on FloridaManRadio.com. Since 1995, Mr. Clark has written over 4,000 movie reviews and film-related articles. He favors dark comedy, thrillers, and documentaries.
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