The Sound of Metal (2021)

Of all the films I've seen this year, this is the one that should see the best actor award going its way at the Oscars in April for Riz Ahmed's barnstorming performance. Sure, I would not begrudge Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, but Riz Ahmed I think will be the underdog, and this deserves the plaudits. Riz Ahmed has been a wonderful presence in the film world for a while now; the first time I saw him he was terrific in Chris Morris' sobering Four Lions (2010) but this is him at the peak of his powers. Playing a drummer in a thrash metal sludge band, he begins to lose his hearing, in scenes that are truly terrifying, and brilliantly capture the initially horrifying prospect of losing ones hearing. Sublimely supported by small cast, most notably an excellent Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci, Ahmed's Ruben must overcome his inceptive doubts about joining a small deaf community (led by Raci's Joe) to come to terms with his hearing loss. Ahmed is sensational, making you feel every emotion using every bone in his body. This is not a performance that steals the film, or indeed makes the film. The Sound Of Metal is absolutely brilliant on its own terms as well, and the final scene, without giving anything away, is utterly perfect. 8.0/10