‘Sound Of Metal’ review: Dir. Darius Marder (2021)

Nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, as well as a bunch of other major awards, including Best Actor for Riz Ahmed, Sound Of Metal arrives with great fanfare, and rightly so as this is sincerely one of the year’s very best films, a uniquely staged feature about a musician who must endure a great change in his life as he loses his hearing.

Ahmed is Ruben, a drummer in a heavy metal duo named Backgammon, the other half being his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke). They tour the states moving from venue to venue in a metallic RV, full of everything they need from sleeping quarters, fully operational kitchen to apparent recording studio and rehearsal area. However, Ruben’s life is turned upside down when he acutely loses his hearing. After visiting a local pharmacist, and then ultimately a doctor, the news isn’t good, and the young musician is advised to avoid loud environments as this could see him lose the little hearing he still has left. His initial resistance is met with obvious consequences and Ruben finds himself eventually at a recovery shelter for deaf recovering alcoholics, run by Vietnam veteran Joe (Paul Raci), where he is challenged to sustain his sobriety – he is a recovering heroin addict – and confront his new situation, head-on.

Just about everything about this movie is outstanding. A largely, ultimately uplifting story, and one that largely on change and acceptance is firstly wonderfully performed by Riz Ahmed. His commitment to the role in terms of his physical appearance, through to the demanding drumming scenes, and his authentic depiction of hearing loss, shines through onto the screen. Almost a spiritual companion piece to his 2020 release Mogul Mowgli, which has similar themes, Sound Of Metal will go down as one of Ahmed’s great performances and works, memorable for decades to come; he really is deserved of every little bit of acclaim he receives. The supporting cast, too, are excellent, particularly Cooke’s Lou, a character which largely bookends the film, but again one so meticulously created by both screenwriter and performer, and also Raci’s Joe, another worthy turn rightfully highlighted by awards nomination juries, including BAFTA and The Academy.

The performances are aided by great direction from debut feature filmmaker Darius Marder, who chooses to use sound design and clever editing to draw his audience into proceedings and replicate the situation that Ruben is enduring. Everything is so clever about the film; from its naturalistic flow through superb cinematography from Daniël Bouquet, and score from Nicolas Becker. Everything is also meticulously designed – even the title of the film has a smart double-meaning, but it never loses that authentic, real-feel.

A film to experience on the big-screen, if possible, even though it is headed for the Amazon streaming platform as well, Sound Of Metal marks one of the truly unmissable movies of 2021. A supremely impressive, absorbing piece of work, and one of the most impressive feature debuts for years.