Sound of Metal (2020)

'Sound of Metal' is a unique cinematic experience that has consumed my every thought in the days since my viewing, and should be on the radars of anyone wanting to catch one of the best films this year. If you're lucky enough to get the opportunity to see it on a big screen, take it as soon as you can. Movies like this do not come around very often.
- Ashley Teresa

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With moderately high expectations, Sound of Metal genuinely surprised me. Darius Marder and Abraham Marder's exquisite screenplay is the absolute standout, at the same insanely good level as Riz Ahmed's impressive performance. The former holds a meaningful, enlightening story about not only the deaf community but also about accepting our limitations as something that's a part of us instead of taking it as a handicap. Except for a couple of unnecessary scenes that could have made the movie a bit shorter, the two-hour duration is quite fair, boasting a very captivating narrative.

Countless storytelling technical details elevate this film into one of the best of the year. From an apparently simple yet extremely clever use (or absence) of subtitles for sign language to emotionally compelling dialogues, an outstandingly realistic atmosphere surrounds the movie throughout the entire runtime. Never, not even for a second, the viewer needs to deal with an over-the-top reaction, cheesy conversation, or a typical Hollywood, overdramatized moment. Darius Marder has terrific control of the tone, keeping it exceptionally grounded.

Riz Ahmed delivers what I believe is his career-best display, incorporating his character's hearing disability in a seamless fashion. His subtle facial expressions and body movements are essential for the performance that can easily guarantee him dozens of nominations. Olivia Cooke (Lou) is also excellent in her role. Technically, huge praise to Daniël Bouquet's cinematography, which insists on an almost documentary-style composition by applying standard camera angles and shots often seen in this type of feature, helping to generate the before-mentioned authenticity.

One of my absolute favorite films of 2020.

Rating: A

Highly recommend!

Riz Ahmed gives an incredible performance as Ruben, not only did he make me care immensely for the character but he also makes Ruben feel like a real person. You can tell he put a tonne of effort into this and it really does show.

Away from Ahmed, Olivia Cooke (Lou) and Paul Raci (Joe) are also very good performers, while it's nice to see Lauren Ridloff (Diane) involved - she's great in <em>'The Walking Dead'</em>, while she is soon to be in the MCU's <em>'Eternals'</em> as well.

So much heart to this. I couldn't possibly say with 100% certainty for obvious reasons, but it seems to do a terrific job at telling the story that it intends to. That's not always the case, so the filmmakers deserve praise for that - as well as for the sound design et al.

<em>'Sound of Metal'</em> is worthy of the hype, no question.

**Sound of Metal: The Art of Letting Go**

From its opening moments, "Sound of Metal" places us inside Ruben's disintegrating auditory world with such visceral precision that we become unwitting participants in his trauma. Director Darius Marder's sound design isn't merely technical brilliance. It becomes emotional architecture that collapses the distance between viewer and subject. We don't just watch Ruben lose his hearing; we experience the muffled confusion, the sudden silences, the distorted remnants of a world rapidly retreating beyond reach.

Yet beneath this innovative technical achievement lies a more intimate story. While "Sound of Metal" presents itself as a meditation on disability and addiction, its beating heart is the relationship between Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and Lou (Olivia Cooke). Their connection, two damaged souls who found salvation in each other, creates the true emotional current that carries this celluloid through its 120 minutes.

Ahmed and Cooke deliver performances of remarkable subtlety, conveying years of shared history through glances and gestures. They portray two people who have rescued each other from the brink, creating a delicate interdependence that Ruben's hearing loss threatens to unbalance. Their story isn't just about love surviving disability but about the painful wisdom of knowing when to let go.

The film quietly embraces a Buddhist sensibility in its exploration of attachment. Ruben's desperate grip on his former life—his music, his hearing, and ultimately Lou herself—becomes the source of his suffering. His journey isn't simply about adaptation to deafness but about releasing the need to control what cannot be controlled. Similarly, Lou must release her role as Ruben's protector to find her own path forward.

This parallel to addiction recovery is no accident. Just as sobriety requires surrendering to a new reality, Ruben's journey demands acceptance of an unwanted transformation. The film's most powerful moments come not in dramatic declarations but in the quiet recognition that holding on too tightly only prolongs the pain.

"Sound of Metal" reverberates long after its final frame because it understands that our greatest struggles are not with external circumstances but with our own reluctance to release what we believe defines us. In the end, its message rings clear even in silence: the most profound love is centered, self-love, and completely unbound.