Sound of Metal

 

Riz Ahmed stars as Ruben Stone, a heavy metal/punk drummer in a two piece band, a kind of reverse White Stripes ensemble, with his girlfriend, singer and guitarist, Lou (Olivia Cooke). Ruben, for reasons unknown, although maybe because of constant exposure to loud noise, suddenly loses his hearing. Ruben, now four years clean from heroin addiction must learn to deal with his new-found deafness. He does so at a compound for the deaf/those in recovery center. The center is run by a deaf-hippie-therapist named Joe played with great charm by Paul Raci. It's the performances by Ahmed and Raci which gives this movie it feel of authenticity. Ruben, who has been working out his anger with the world through his drumming, must find a new way to deal with himself when he loses his hearing. It's a riveting performance. I wouldn't be surprised if Ahmed was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Oscar and a best-supporting for Raci. The film has a rawness to it, the grittiness of The Florida Project, American Honey, and Vox Lux to name a few recent films with similar aesthetics. Catch this one on Streaming Services.