Sound of Metal 15

Sound of Metal follows Ruben (a bleach-haired Riz Ahmed), a drummer who is four-years clean. He lives in an RV with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke), and the pair tour the country, hammering through gigs as noise-band duo Blackgammon. But the nightly, ferocious live sets have taken their toll on Ruben, and suddenly an everyday ear-pop becomes a strange, persistent ringing. Struck by extremely rapid hearing loss, and at risk of slipping back into old habits, Lou takes Reuben to a group home for Deaf addicts, where, albeit reluctantly, he is welcomed into a community that refuse to view Deafness as a disability.

A remarkably sensitive narrative debut from Darius Marder, that uses bold sound design to create a deeply empathetic, immersive representation of Deafness. Ahmed’s assured performance is lifted by a supporting cast of d/Deaf actors who bring a rich authenticity to this ambitious drama.

Released with open captions, all screenings will have English subtitles for English dialogue and non-dialogue sounds such as music, a car door slamming, the phone ringing, etc.

Want to know more about Sound of Metal? Take a look at our programme notes.