After portraying Hulk in the MCU, Mark Ruffalo has once again won over fans. The actor stars alongside Dylan O’Brien in the critically acclaimed film, which has now received a major update.
Based on an inspiring true story, Being Heumann officially arrived in select theaters today, November 6, 2026. The movie has already garnered significant attention from the critics. It has received an 86% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 59 reviews at the time of writing.
Writing for Time Out, Elizabeth Weitzman noted, “What’s too often missing, unfortunately, is the three-dimensional humanity that would elevate an undeniably inspiring project into an artistically creative one.”
Meanwhile, Moira MacDonald of The Seattle Times praised lead actress Ruth Madeley, saying, “Madeley, as she needs to, carries the film, giving Heumann a fierce, tireless determination; you never doubt for a second that this woman could move a mountain if she had to.”
Algo Más Que Cine’s Dionar Hidalgo writes, “Ruth Madeley is terrific in Siân Heder’s inspiring portrait of disability rights activist Judy Heumann. A heartfelt story of resistance and collective action, despite its conventional biopic structure.”
What to know about Mark Ruffalo’s Being Heumann and the historic protest
Directed by Siân Heder, the biographical drama revisits the historic 1977 protest, during which Judy Heumann led a coalition of more than 100 disabled activists in an occupation of the San Francisco Federal Building.
The protest aimed to demand the enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and it lasted for about 25 days. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in federally funded programs. However, this act was reportedly stalled for a long duration, which ultimately led to the protest.
The film is based on the 2020 memoir Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judy Heumann and Kristen Joiner. Being Heumann premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Alongside Ruffalo and O’Brien, the cast features Rob Delaney, David Hewlett, Ray Fisher, Will Brill, Jon Beavers, Deborah Ricketts, Ruth Madeley, Madison Tevlin, and others.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
