Film Review — Sound of Metal
Riz Ahmed’s stunning, Oscar-nominated performance is best experienced on the big screen, where the film’s innovative sound design can also be properly appreciated
Last night, I finally caught up with Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal. I had deliberately waited until cinemas reopened to catch it there, rather than on streaming, and once again I’m glad I did. For many reasons, Sound of Metal plays much better on a big screen, where its superb, Oscar-nominated central performance from Riz Ahmed can be appreciated at full strength.
Ahmed plays Ruben, the drummer in a heavy metal duo, with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) on lead vocals and guitar. When Ruben loses his hearing, his relationship with Lou is tested personally and professionally. A former heroin addict, Ruben spirals into the expected cycle of denial, despair, and self-destruction, until Lou, fearing a drug relapse, adopts a tough-love approach, insisting he spends some time in a community for the deaf.
Said community is led by Vietnam vet turned Christian Joe (Paul Raci), who ensures Ruben’s stay is funded by his local church. Ruben is reluctant but begins to fit in with others in the community, quickly learning sign language, making friends, and becoming popular with deaf…
