"Sound of Metal" Review: Riz Ahmed's Performance Is Oscar Worthy; But Faces Unbeatable Competition

Next in my series of examining the 2021 Oscar contenders is Sound of Metal, which is nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Directed by Darius Marder, the film focuses on Ruben (Ahmed), a recovering addict and heavy metal drummer who looses his hearing. Struggling to come to terms with his hearing loss and previous addictions, Ruben seeks help at a rehab centre in a deaf community run by Joe (Paul Raci). The film follows as Ruben immerses himself in a culture so vastly different than what he has known, and grapples with his desire to undergo cochlear implant surgery to regain his sense of sound.

As I have said before, I hate referring to any film as 'simple', because I am conscious of all the effort and hard work which goes on behind the scenes, but certainly of all of the films I have watched this year, this is the most simple. There are no elaborate set peaces or fancy stunts. At its core the film is a fish out of water story, and features many heartbreaking and moving scenes. Across the course of the narrative we follow as Ruben adapts and transforms, and it is hard not to be emotionally moved when you see how he grows and matures as a person whilst living in this welcoming, helpful and supportive close-knit deaf community. As Joe aims to enlighten and educate Ruben about being deaf, he also challenges the audience to think about how they view the condition, emphasising that deafness shouldn't be seen as a disability that can or should be fixed.

It is certainly no surprise to learn that a film titled "Sound of Metal" features far and away the best sound of any film this year. By isolating the everyday sounds one takes for granted, and allowing the audience to experience life through Ruben's hearing loss, you really get a sense of how devastating and alienating it is for him to have lost his hearing so late in life. The changes in sound perspectives give audiences an insight into what Ruben is experiencing verses what a hearing person in the same position would experience. I also loved how subtitles are only used after Ruben begins to learn sign language, only inviting us to fully immerse ourselves in this world once he has accepted that he is a part of it.

The performances by Riz Ahmed and Paul Raci are two of the most compelling and moving of the year, and this year's Best Supporting Actor category is certainly the most impressive it has been in recent years. Whilst I don't have any doubt that the momentum is with Daniel Kaluuya to secure the win, were there to be a massive upset and one of the other four nominees clinch the Oscars statue, it would be hard to be disappointed with the result. Were this any other year, I would be certain that Riz Ahmed would take home the Best Actor award, but he unfortunately faces unbeatable competition in the late Chadwick Boseman. I'm certain that Boseman will win, but if you were to ask me which performance I liked best, or who I would like to see win I'd struggle to decide between the two. Both men give two of the best performances I've seen since starting to religiously track and follow the Oscars in 2013. If we could have a repeat of the Best Actress Award of 1969 and have a tied result, I'd be happy with that!

"Sound of Metal" is available to stream now on Prime Video.