Powerfully engrossing, Sound of Metal is a movie that deserves to be seen – but mostly heard. You see, our director, Darius Marder, and crew have created a truly unique audible experience to go along with the visuals. Seriously, the sound engineer team deserves major kudos for creating remarkable work that will no doubt transport the audience right into our main character’s head. Speaking of which, said character, Ruben, is played phenomenally by Riz Ahmed. The actor is easily believable in everything he does/goes through, making for one of the most passionate performances of the year (here’s hoping he doesn’t get overlooked come awards season). It should also be noted that this isn’t your typical/artificial bit of “overcoming the odds” storytelling. So, while the plot veers down a few predictable paths, it mostly avoids the narrative cliches and tropes you might be expecting. And frankly, it works, as what we are left with is an emotional journey full of genuinely raw sentiment.