• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Movie Review – The Sound of Metal (2019)

April 12, 2021 by Martin Carr

The Sound of Metal, 2019.

Directed by Darius Marder.
Starring Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric, Domenico Toledo, Chelsea Lee, Shaheem Sanchez and Chris Perfetti.

SYNOPSIS:

Ruben (Riz Ahmed) is forced to face some home truths, as a life altering event sees everything he values slip away. As sound is replaced by silence Ruben’s world is changed forever.

Few films intentionally seek out silence and exist within the moments most movies overlook. In The Sound of Metal, every moment of audio, either muffled or magnified carries meaning.  Screenwriters Darius and Abraham Marder ask their audience to process film in a different way, by making point of view an essential dramatic element. Conversations create their own dynamic; words are formed through physical expression and passions punctuated by fevered gestures.

Riz Ahmed’s Ruben sits at the centre of this maelstrom, as a drummer who is slowly losing his hearing. Those first moments of realisation are a combination of performance and sound design working in unison. Barely veiled panic, instant isolation and overwhelming stretches of inaudible communication throw actor and audience in together.

Director Darius Marder tunes into the immediacy of this life altering event without using any tricks. By switching perspective, audiences get to appreciate Ruben’s mounting panic, as well as the emotional fall out experienced elsewhere. Olivia Cooke excels as Lou, playing both life partner and situational pragmatist. In situ and perpetually in the moment, The Sound of Metal is free from artifice and trades in raw emotion.

Production designer Jeremy Woodward, who worked on both Knives Out and Ben Affleck’s gangster flick Live By Night, captures this realism effortlessly. Locations seem stumbled upon rather than dressed by design, while cinematographer Daniel Bouquet exists in the moment. Lighting feels arbitrary, blocking non-existent and every performance, however small, honest in a way which hits home.

Stand outs beyond the central pairing include Paul Raci as Joe. His role as the bedrock of a deaf community is astonishing in its naturalism. Playing off the raw intensity of Ruben, Joe is part counsellor, confidant and role model. His openness in the beginning is disarming and paternal, as he offers hope amongst the emotional debris. In the aftermath of a casual betrayal, which comes later, Paul Raci sucks every ounce of oxygen from the room. Pathos, poignancy and pent up frustrations clash in a silence that devastates. It is a defining moment amongst a multitude, allowing person and performance to become almost indivisible.

The Sound of Metal is proof that silences possess their own unique melody and means of expression. For many this may come to redefine their relationship with a medium too often disregarded, overlooked or ignored. With six Oscar nominations and two BAFTA wins for sound design and editing, audio has never been more integral to a story.

With titles including Gravity, Arrival and Pan’s Labyrinth on their resume, winning was only a matter of time for sound designers Nicholas Becker, Jamie Bakst and Phillip Bladh. There is no doubt that Riz Ahmed elevates the material through his performance, but without sound and its absence, this film lacks an emotional sucker punch. By connecting audience and actor through audio, not only does Ruben’s journey become universally personal, but his epiphanies vicarious moments worth relishing.

The Sound of Metal is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video from April 12th.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Martin Carr

 

Filed Under: Martin Carr, Movies, Reviews Tagged With: Chelsea Lee, Chris Perfetti, Darius Marder, Domenico Toledo, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric, olivia cooke, Paul Raci, Riz Ahmed, Shaheem Sanchez, The Sound of Metal

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The 1990s in Comic Book Movies

What’s Next For Tom Cruise?

Awful Video Game Movie Adaptations You’ve Probably Forgotten

6 Great Australian Crime Movies of the 1980s

The Essential 90s Action Movies

10 Great 80s Sci-Fi Adventure Movies You Need To See

10 Great Forgotten Movie Gems Worth Seeking Out

Incredible TV Shows That Were Cancelled Too Soon

7 Kick-Ass Female-Led Action Movies

10 Great Horror Movies with Villainous Protagonists

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Frankenstein (2025)

Movie Review – Good Fortune (2025)

Movie Review – Black Phone 2 (2025)

Slow Horses Season 5 Episode 4 Review – ‘Missiles’

Comic Book Review – Star Trek: Picard Omnibus

Movie Review – Ballad of a Small Player (2025)

10 Must-See Horror Movies Guaranteed to Make You Squirm

Movie Review – Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025)

The Top 10 Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

Hasbro unveils new Star Wars: The Black Series Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Purge Trooper & Patrol Trooper figures

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

Ten Essential Films of the 1960s

The Bourne Difference: The Major Book vs Movie Changes

Underappreciated Action Stars Who Deserve More Love

The Legacy of Avatar: The Last Airbender 20 Years On

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles and Opinions
  • Write for Flickering Myth
  • About Flickering Myth
  • The Baby in the Basket