Keeping at bay his inner demons by devoting himself to art, metal drummer, Ruben, has been living for the moment for the past four years. Then, while on tour with his lead-singer/girlfriend, Lou, Ruben realises that his hearing is rapidly deteriorating. As this sudden hearing loss turns his world upside down, and numbing fear paired with angry denial take over, Ruben reluctantly accepts to join a small deaf community overseen by Joe, a compassionate Vietnam War veteran. Now, ... (Full plot summary below)
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Keeping at bay his inner demons by devoting himself to art, metal drummer, Ruben, has been living for the moment for the past four years. Then, while on tour with his lead-singer/girlfriend, Lou, Ruben realises that his hearing is rapidly deteriorating. As this sudden hearing loss turns his world upside down, and numbing fear paired with angry denial take over, Ruben reluctantly accepts to join a small deaf community overseen by Joe, a compassionate Vietnam War veteran. Now, Ruben needs to find some solid ground, understand that being deaf is not a handicap and that deafness isn't something to fix. But, is Ruben willing to accept his new life and learn how to be deaf?
Leave your thoughts about Sound of Metal.
| Total FilmMatt MaytumA small film that hits big, Sound Of Metal is a gem you’ll want to bang the drum for. |
| Original-CinKaren GordonOn the surface it’s a solid and and absorbing character study. But thanks to Marder’s script and masterful direction, and Ahmed’s beautiful performance, there are increasingly deeper layers that take this movie to a deeper place. |
| The TelegraphTim RobeyNothing about the sound in Sound of Metal is ordinary. |
| Film ThreatAlex SavelievHere’s a film so quietly visceral it can sear through metal, “quietly” being the keyword. Don’t come in expecting a no-holds-barred assault on the senses. Nor is this a metal music extravaganza. The bulk of the film is silent, deliberate. We are thrust inside Ruben’s mind to hear what he hears, a pulsating, muted nothing, which is then jarringly contrasted with everyday sounds when we’re yanked back out of his head. The sound mixing and editing are nothing short of phenomenal in Sound of Metal. |
| Paste MagazineJoi ChildsAn experiment of sound design paired with a stellar lead performance makes for a captivating film. |
| Screen DailyWendy IdeThis remarkably assured debut ... uses the medium of cinema to its fullest extent, both visually and aurally. |
| IndieWireEric Kohn[A] mesmerizing debut ... Sound of Metal injects visceral, edgy circumstances with remarkable sensitivity. |
| The Film StageJared MobarakThis is a very personal story to Marder and it shows in the intricate ways he uses sound to place us within Ruben’s plight. |
| Boston GlobeTy BurrThe final moments, however, are all Ruben’s, which is to say they’re all Ahmed’s, and the actor makes his character’s ultimate decision feel both hard won and achingly simple. Coming out toward the end of a year of great and terrible cacophony, Sound of Metal understands the gift that is hearing and the blessings of silence alike. |
| Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattThere's an intimately lived-in quality to the film that feels almost documentary. |
