Christians tend to like their redemption arcs clean and their underdogs easy to root for. But much like This is Martin Bonner, Sound of Metal presents a character who resists help. Ruben (Riz Ahmed) at first does not wish to admit that he is losing his hearing; he subsequently refuses to settle into the life of a deaf community that appears to offer him the best chance at a second act. It would be too easy to view the film as simply an internal battle between our old selves and our new selves, although it can be viewed that way. It is also a film that suggests that the highest forms of love are those which do not force themselves upon others but instead gracefully allow those others to choose their own way. — Kenneth R. Morefield
Arts & Faith Lists:
2020 Arts & Faith Ecumenical Jury — #4