Sound of Metal

"Music was his world. Then silence revealed a new one."

2020 2h 1m EN

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 2,974

DramaMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Metal drummer Ruben begins to lose his hearing. When a doctor tells him his condition will worsen, he thinks his career and life is over. His girlfriend Lou checks the former addict into a rehab for the deaf hoping it will prevent a relapse and help him adapt to his new life. After being welcomed and accepted just as he is, Ruben must choose between his new normal and the life he once knew.

“Music was his world. Then silence revealed a new one.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Riz Ahmed
Ruben Stone
Olivia Cooke
Lou
Paul Raci
Joe
Lauren Ridloff
Diane
Mathieu Amalric
Richard Berger
Domenico Toledo
Michael
Chelsea Lee
Jenn
Shaheem Sanchez
Shaheem

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Darius Marder
Writers: Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Darius Marder
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Darius Marder, shot by Daniël Bouquet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nicolas Becker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Music was his world. Then silence revealed a new one.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt5363618 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Darius Marder directs. Daniël Bouquet behind the camera. Nicolas Becker scores. Mikkel E.G. Nielsen cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 6 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
3Directed by Darius Marder, shot by Daniël Bouquet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Nicolas Becker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Music was his world. Then silence revealed a new one.".
8IMDB entry: tt5363618 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "deaf", "missouri", "drums", "heavy metal".
10Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Daniël Bouquet
Original score: Nicolas Becker
Editing: Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
Production design: Jeremy Woodward
Costume design: Megan Stark Evans
Makeup / hair: Juliet Loveland
Sound: Jaime Baksht
Stunt coordinator: Amy Greene
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $516,520
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Sound of Metal (2020)

Also by

Darius Marder

Loot
2008 · ★ 5.0

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2020-12-05
★ 10/10
'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 Read Ashley's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-sound-of-metal-a-touching-cinematic-triumph
Manuel São Bento2020-12-30
★ 9/10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com 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
r96sk2021-05-01
★ 9/10
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 'The Walking Dead', while she is soon to be in the MCU's 'Eternals' 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. 'Sound of Metal' is worthy of the hype, no question.