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."
Top Billed 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
Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews
S SWITCH.Verified TMDB Critic
2020-12-05
'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...
M Manuel São BentoVerified TMDB Critic
2020-12-30
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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...
R r96skVerified TMDB Critic
2021-05-01
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, ...
B badelfVerified TMDB Critic
2025-07-14
**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.
