Heavy Metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) has his life thrown into disarray when he begins to experience rapid hearing loss. As an addict he finds his new found emotional instability a threat to his sobriety until his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) and his sponsor find him a retreat for deaf addicts run by Joe (Paul Raci).

This is the second film this year featuring Riz Ahmed that opens with a scintillating musical performance and contains a stunning example of how strong an actor he is. The other being Mogul Mowgli. The entire focus of the film is Ruben’s emotional journey from a hearing world to a non hearing one, framed by his addictive personality. The safe haven provided by Joe where Ruben must forego access to his car keys and mobile phone is a place where deafness is not considered a disability to fix. It is a place designed to help those who choose to become comfortable with the silence and stillness that they now face. But Ruben still hangs to the idea that a cochlear implant operation could allow him to return to his old life.

I found the opening two thirds of this movie to be absolutely riveting. Ahmed’s performance is fantastic. The emotional rollercoaster that he takes us through is profound and I really connected with the panic and fear that he feels in those initial stages. When he arrives at Joe’s retreat we are also introduced to another amazing character who I really wanted to learn more about. Joe has a story and a life similar to Ruben. It shows us where his journey could go and the community he begins to integrate with seems loving and caring. Paul Raci is an actor I have not seen before and his performance is warm and caring. And then on top of these performances and intriguing insight into this new community there is an amazing sound design to put us in this world. Whatever technical wizardry was used to show the juxtaposition of the hearing world to the non hearing one is astonishing. There are moments of quiet focus on fields, trees and roads where the simple sound of nature and the world around us provides stark contrast to the muted, muffled world Ruben now lives in.

Such heady heights are brought down to earth slightly then by the ending. Ruben makes a decision that seems slightly out of character pushing a resolution that seems out of place. Perhaps partly because Olivia Cooke’s Lou seems underwritten and is a key component of the final moments? Although the very final scene does go a long way to restore the brilliance that has gone before.

I hope that your reaction to the ending is better than mine because it is a film well worth your time and one that shows great empathy and an insight into one type of deaf community.

I did some research into medical professionals reaction to the film as well and whilst there are some complaints it seems the auditory aspects of the film are accurate. Where there are complaints they relate to the lack of scenes depicting doctors explanations and empathy towards Ruben’s treatment options. Perhaps this was a running time issue or simply that co-writer/director Darius Marder wanted to focus on the emotional reaction Ruben has to his situation.