Amazon’s “Sound Of Metal” drama starring Riz Ahmed as a noise metal drummer who goes deaf and then struggles with his hearing loss and identity, is obviously a bruising emotional film, and is earning much critical and award season praise to back that notion up. There are many ways to look at the film, part horror movie—the fear that creeps up in that first act is terrifying— drama, addiction story, tragic romantic co-dependent relationship story (Olivia Cooke co-stars), and more.

Continue reading ‘Sound Of Metal’: Darius Marder Talks The Framing Of Co-Dependency In His Bruising Drama [Exclusive] at The Playlist.

While “Sound of Metal” marks the narrative feature debut for writer-director Darius Marder, this is a project that has been a long time coming for the film veteran. Having written the script for “The Place Beyond the Pines” for director Derek Cianfrance, it appears that the origin story for one of 2020’s most acclaimed features began well over a decade ago with a simple proposition, “What if a drummer blew out his hearing?” In our new special episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour talked with Marder about “Sound of Metal” and the birth of what is one of the best films of 2020.

Continue reading Director Darius Marder Talks The Complexity Of ‘Sound Of Metal’ & Pushing Boundaries In Cinema [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

Some might not enjoy metal as a music genre. It’s loud, brash, and often very fast. To someone who isn’t a fan, it can sound almost like an explosion of sound. But no matter what you feel about the genre, it’s hard to deny that the musicianship is pretty incredible, with drummers, in particular, having to keep a frantic pace to provide the backbone of a song. But in “Sound of Metal,” one drummer must cope with the idea that he can no longer perform due to something out of his control.

Continue reading ‘Sound Of Metal’ Trailer: Riz Ahmed Is A Drummer Losing His Hearing In Darius Marder’s Festival Standout at The Playlist.

Each year, countless films premiere at festivals across the world. Filmmakers are celebrated for their artistic vision. Projects are praised for their ability to push the boundaries of what we expect from national cinemas. Then, just as quickly as these films burst on the scene, many disappear from the public eye. Some fall through the cracks of distribution. Others are snapped up by discriminating studios but languish in the vault as executives work to puzzle out the perfect date and platform for their release.

Continue reading The 25 Best Movies Of 2020 We’ve Already Seen at The Playlist.

It is my personal belief that one of the greatest challenges an actor can face is that of making stoicism into compelling drama. The term actor definitionally refers to one who performs an action, and remaining stilly stone-faced can sometimes come off as the absence of a thing rather than a thing itself. Riz Ahmed spends long passages of Darius Marder’s arresting new character study “Sound of Metal” stewing in the surly, resentful silence of the furious-yet-resigned; a fragile self-control punctuated by outbursts of rage and violence.

Continue reading ‘Sound Of Metal’: Riz Ahmed Stars In A Visceral Blue Valentine Painted Black at The Playlist.