Sound of Metal

Sound of Metal is my favorite movie of 2020.

The competition was not fierce. I've only liked three movies this year. The other two, Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods and David Fincher's Mank (both on Netflix), are difficult to recommend for all moviegoers, but it's a safe bet that the ultimately uplifting Sound of Metal will touch most anyone who watches.

Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) plays a punk-metal drummer who is losing his hearing. This is not the typical rock-star-finds-success-then-crashes-with-booze/drugs-story — thank goodness. It's a story of overcoming challenges. Another reason why this should be crowned the film of 2020.

Ahmed doesn't miss a beat here. His empathetic character is played so genuine that the movie can explore further layers and questions such as the divide in those that view deafness as an identity and those who see it as correctable.

Writer-director-newcomer Darius Marder tells the story in a low-key way that is all the more riveting for it. Ironically, it is the sound of silence that is the most telling.

In a nutshell: It's the only movie in 2020 that I'd go see again in a theater in 2021.

Award potential: Sound of Metal has an underdog shot at Best Picture and Best Screenplay, but it will be hard not to nominate Ahmed for Best Actor. 

Plus, it's sure to rock the title of front-runner for the new Best Sound Oscar. (Sound Mixing and Sound Editing have finally been combined.) The sound design here brings the character's auditory condition to life; it's a work of art.

The Ten Buck Review. Worth ten bucks. (Streaming now on Amazon Prime)