There are all sorts of unusual conditions that exist. Not just quirks, but actual medically acknowledged conditions. For example, misophonia. This is not made up. Misophonia is a disorder which results in either anxiety or strong negative emotions when certain sounds are heard, like someone chewing. There is also a condition called synesthesia; someone with this can taste shapes or smell color. Having synesthesia could also mean that a person can see sound. So what if someone could see sound but not always hear it? This brings us to my latest movie viewing: SOUND OF VIOLENCE.
Alexis Reeves (played by Jasmin Savoy Brown) was deaf. That is, until she witnessed her mother’s murder at the tender age of ten. It was then that she also realized she could see sounds and not just in any way; these sounds were beautiful, bright, a symphony of color only she could see and enjoy. Fast forward to an adult Alexis who is teaching and creates music by experimenting with sounds, trying to find the same pleasure she had with her first synesthetic experience. What follows is more than just an artist’s journey to create a masterpiece, but also Alexis’ descent into darker, more sinister acts.
What first attracted me to this film was the genre label of horror. I knew nothing of writer and director Alex Noyer’s work nor did I know much of Brown’s filmography other than For the People. But between the horror label and the summary of the film, that was enough for me. It is a unique idea to have a main character who can not only see sound, but for that main character to be driven to acts of violence to recreate the experience of seeing sound? That is just twisted enough to be a fun film.
This was actually more than fun. If you are a fan of the Saw films, Reeves’ twisted acts to create beautiful sounds are on par with some of Jigsaw’s basic traps and tricks. Brown plays a convincing artist who really does not see (no pun intended) anything wrong with what she is doing. I highly recommend adding this one to your next movie night.
SOUND OF VIOLENCE is available on-demand now.