The Sound of Metal

During a series of adrenaline-fueled one-night gigs, punk-metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career — and with it his life — is over. His bandmate and girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) checks the recovering heroin addict into a secluded sober house for the deaf in hopes it will prevent a relapse and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. But after being welcomed into a community that accepts him just as he is, Ruben has to choose between his equilibrium and the drive to reclaim the life he once knew.

Utilizing startling, innovative sound design techniques, director Darius Marder takes audiences inside Ruben’s experience to vividly recreate his journey into a rarely examined world. But this becomes much more than a film about deafness — it’s really the story of a restless young man finding spritual grace. Riz Ahmed probably deserved the Academy Award for his performance.

An intensely unique sonic experience that demands careful and focused aural attention.

Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

Propelled by a distinctive style and a potent lead performance, Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal builds a singular tension between silence and noise.

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

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