In the 1960s, a sexually conflicted teenager escapes the tortures of electrotherapeutic conversion therapy to find hope and acceptance.

The project is Howard's undergraduate capstone film[2] made at San Diego State University in the spring of 2017.

[12] Before the film's festival premiere, Howard was recognized with an award for Best Directing at San Diego State's Emerging Filmmakers Showcase in the spring semester, 2017.

[citation needed] In 2019, Deviant received a Student Emmy Award[13] at the Pacific Southwest Chapter for National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

[14] The film received more than 20 awards and nominations over the year and a half it played on the festival circuit, including several for Pankow and Howard, for acting and directing, respectively.