How a film about a deaf metal drummer captured the sound of silence

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When Ruben Stone, a heavy metal drummer, loses his hearing, he is forced into a world he never expected to inhabit. The film Sound of Metal explores his struggle to reconcile his past with a new, quiet reality, ultimately challenging how we perceive disability, addiction, and the search for stillness.

Directed by Darius Marder, Sound of Metal originated from an unfinished project titled Metalhead, which was conceived by Derek Cianfrance. The film follows Ruben, played by Riz Ahmed, as he navigates the sudden onset of deafness while grappling with his history as a recovering drug addict. To prepare for the role, Ahmed underwent an intense eight-month regimen, dedicating hours daily to learning American Sign Language, practicing drums, and working with a personal trainer. Marder, who spent 13 years vetting actors, famously prohibited Ahmed from reviewing his own performance dailies to ensure he remained grounded in his instincts.

The narrative centers on Ruben's time at a rural shelter for deaf recovering addicts, managed by Joe, a man who lost his hearing during the Vietnam War. The community operates on the fundamental belief that deafness is not a handicap to be cured, but a state of being. This philosophy clashes with Ruben’s desperate pursuit of cochlear implants, which he believes will restore his former life. His journey is marked by a tension between his desire to return to the music scene with his girlfriend, Lou, and the profound, transformative potential of accepting silence.

Released in 2020, the film earned widespread critical acclaim, appearing on 52 critics' top-ten lists for that year. It received six Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Sound and Best Film Editing. While some critics, such as those at The Pit, argued the film relies on the trope of metal as a phase to be outgrown, others praised its immersive sound design and Ahmed's raw performance. Ultimately, the film concludes not with a return to the noise of the past, but with Ruben finding the stillness Joe had long encouraged him to seek.

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