Sound of Metal

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2:36

Sound of Metal

R

2020

2h 0m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

283 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

During a series of adrenaline-fueled one-night gigs, itinerant punk-metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career — and with it his life — is over. His bandmate and girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) checks the recovering heroin addict into a secluded sober house for the deaf in hopes it will prevent a relapse and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. But after being welcomed into a community that accepts him just as he is, Ruben has to choose between his equilibrium and the drive to reclaim the life he once knew. Utilizing startling, innovative sound design techniques, director Darius Marder takes audiences inside Ruben’s experience to vividly recreate his journey into a rarely examined world.

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Critics Consensus

An evocative look at the experiences of the deaf community, Sound of Metal is brought to life by Riz Ahmed's passionate performance.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

Sep 23, 2024

4/5

Sound of Metal is thoughtful in its refusal to offer pat solutions for complex and changeable medical circumstances, and immersive without being exploitative, never suggesting that it represents any monolithic experience of disability.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Apr 16, 2021

4/5

A drama that's as visceral and hard-hitting as its protagonist's drum solos.

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Linda Marric

The Jewish Chronicle

Apr 16, 2021

5/5

Marder does away with the stigma attached to disabilities, choosing to represent them as differences rather than handicaps.

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James Profetto

Reel James (YouTube)

Jul 7, 2026

9/10

This is a delicate story, and Riz Ahmed handles it with care.

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

Jul 11, 2025

it’s a film whose intentions are handicapped by its own ableist perspective, whether or not such beliefs are intentionally or genuinely held.

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Paul Emmanuel Enicola

The Movie Buff

Jul 4, 2024

A

Usually, mainstream films depict afflictions and impairments as things that need to be fixed to make the person’s life whole again. “Sound of Metal,” conversely, makes sure that the objectivity stays intact.

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David S.

Apr 4, 2021

The unwanted journey of the main character's new life was honest and rough and soul touching. Not to mention the film telling the story not often known to people outside the deaf community of the social & educational services/sub communities within the the larger deaf community.

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Roger H

Mar 28, 2021

Great movie that missed 5 stars due to a few dragging moments.

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Alexandra B

Mar 26, 2021

I found this film to be flawless and deeply moving. Incredible experience!!

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Elaine T. B

Mar 24, 2021

Interesting - very real

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Pat Cuccio patd1227

Nov 22, 2020

Superb acting Story line was incredible Addict in recovery-loss of hearing-new beginnings

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Chris S

@Janomi 3 days ago

Sound of Metal is about music, addiction, recovery, deafness, loss, tragedy, finances, trust, identity, and acceptance. That gives the movie a lot of potential, but it also left me feeling like it was trying to be about so many different things that it was not fully about any of them. The film touches on deep subjects, but too often it feels shallow in each area instead of digging all the way in. The best thing about the movie is Riz Ahmed. He gives Ruben fear, anger, denial, desperation, and eventual stillness without overplaying it. Ahmed makes Ruben’s hearing loss feel terrifying because you can see him fighting to hold onto the identity that is disappearing. The sound design is interesting, using muffled noise, silence, distortion, and sudden shifts in perspective to make Ruben’s experience feel disorienting. Olivia Cooke is good as Lou, but she and many supporting characters feel underdeveloped. Sound of Metal has strong pieces, but it never hit me with the depth I expected.

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Darius Marder

Director

Riz Ahmed

Ruben

Olivia Cooke

Lou

Paul Raci

Joe

Mathieu Amalric

Richard Berger

Michael Tow

Pharmacist

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Synopsis

During a series of adrenaline-fueled one-night gigs, itinerant punk-metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career — and with it his life — is over. His bandmate and girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) checks the recovering heroin addict into a secluded sober house for the deaf in hopes it will prevent a relapse and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. But after being welcomed into a community that accepts him just as he is, Ruben has to choose between his equilibrium and the drive to reclaim the life he once knew. Utilizing startling, innovative sound design techniques, director Darius Marder takes audiences inside Ruben’s experience to vividly recreate his journey into a rarely examined world.

Director: Darius Marder
Producer: Bill Benz
Screenwriter: Darius Marder
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Production Co: Caviar, Flat 7 Productions, Ward Four
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Brief Nude Images)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 20, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 4, 2020
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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