Slamdance 2025 | Fist Bump Review

Madeleine Farley's Fist Bump, a documentary chronicling Marcus Knight's battle against sexual misconduct allegations at Saddleback College, opens with a powerful choice: Marcus singing "Waving Through a Window" from the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen immediately sets the tone for a story steeped in themes of disability, visibility, and the desperate fight to be understood. However, despite this promising start, Fist Bump struggles to break through the metaphorical window it creates. Its breakneck pacing and lack of focus leave the audience too many unanswered questions by the time the credits roll.

Despite its shortcomings, Fist Bump offers a unique blend of personal footage, candid interviews, and dense legal documents. This mix provides a grounded perspective, giving viewers some context to understand the complexities of Marcus's fight to clear his name.

Unfortunately, this same approach is its biggest weakness. Fist Bump rushes headlong into the allegations without taking the time to introduce Marcus as a person earnestly.

Key details about his life, such as how he was diagnosed, what ignited his passion for musical theater, the nuances of his family dynamics, and why he chose Saddleback Community College, are either skimmed over or revealed too late. By the time these details emerge, the opportunity to create an emotional connection between Marcus and the audience is primarily lost.

Lost in Legalese and Title IX Overload

While the inclusion of legal documents is meant to provide context, their delivery, implementation, and explanation is minimal. For instance, a reference to "section 2B" is given without clarifying whether this section is located in the Saddleback student handbook, a Title IX protocol, or another policy entirely. Moreover, the film plunges into complex Title IX issues without offering a primer for unfamiliar viewers. This assumption of prior knowledge makes it difficult for the audience to critically assess the evidence brought forth and fully engage with Marcus's fight.

A Disjointed Narrative Structure

The documentary's narrative structure compounds its issues. The breakneck pacing often leads to repetitive rehashing of key points, as if the film has found itself in a roundabout, never fully committing to a coherent message. This scattershot approach lessens the story's impact and leaves the audience struggling to grasp anything that happens within the documentary.

A Missed Opportunity for Disability Awareness

As someone on the autism spectrum, I found the film's treatment of Marcus's disabilities as entirely superficial. The documentary acknowledges the disabilities he has, but it stops short of exploring how his disabilities shape his experiences or influence the allegations against him. A deeper dive into his journey, whether that be the challenges of forming friendships, the struggle for acceptance, or the reality of navigating a system that often misunderstands him, would have added a vital layer of authenticity, empathy, and general awareness to how disabilities like Marcus's affect their lives.

The Campus Conundrum

Finally, the heavy reliance on footage shot at Saddleback College is puzzling. If Marcus is effectively banned from campus, why does so much of the film take place there? This inconsistency only adds to the overall sense of a documentary that hasn't figured out its logic.

Wrap-Up

Fist Bump has the potential to be a groundbreaking exploration of disability and social justice. However, its uneven pacing, lack of comprehensive context, and failure to fully develop its central subject ultimately undermine its impact. With more measured storytelling and a more thorough look at Marcus himself, this documentary could have been a strong contender for my favorite documentaries of the year.

★★☆☆☆ (2/5 stars)

Availability

Fist Bump is currently screening during Slamdance 2025. If you're in Los Angeles, you can buy a ticket to the premiere here. For those not in LA, the film is also available during the virtual portion of Slamdance 2025.

For More Insight

If you want to learn more about how Fist Bump was made, I have an in-depth interview with Madeleine Farley, which you can watch or listen to here.

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