Sound of Violence: Directed by Alex Noyer
Alexis, who recovered her hearing after a traumatic experience when she was a kid, goes on a journey of self discovery and finding her own creativity. Through violence she is able to find something very powerful. Movie brings the meaning of "killer music" in so many different ways. She is supported by an amazing roommate who loves her very much and backs up her passion, although she does not know what her deadly secret is. To keep herself from losing her hearing, she must take violent actions to create her musical masterpiece and continue to be able to hear. She must murder people in order to create new sounds to make music and not lose her hearing.
The movie stars Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), who plays Alexis as the protagonist/antagonist and is told by her perspective. She gives a very compelling performance that is multilayered. Watching her on the screen you feel that she is both the villain and a hero in her own way. You find yourself rooting for her, although she is committing these violent acts. Her performance is accompanied by Lili Simmons (True Detective), who is her roommate Marie and James Jagger (The Outpost), who plays Marie's love interest. All of the supporting cast brings a very sincere performance that helps drive the story where it needs to go. Alex Noyer, who wrote and directed, brings a new fresh take on a horror movie that we have never seen before. Having his past work with music production and doing a documentary on it, makes perfect sense that this would be his next project. This is by far one of the most creative movies I have seen that uses music as the main outlet within a horror movie.
We see Alexis' journey and it is gorgeous to look at. It is also haunting to witness with its very graphic scenes that are portrayed throughout the movie. It gave me vibes of last year's "She Dies Tomorrow" mixed with a "Saw" movie. Alexis is a hyper intelligent creative artist that puts her criminal acts onto the canvas. Sound of Violence moves fast and escalates very quickly. Each kill feels satisfying for any horror movie lover and each beat of the music really strikes a chord. She is someone that you can root behind, but is that the right thing to do based on the actions she is taking? She balances on that thin line of being a protagonist and antagonist which makes the character that much more complex. This movie is about empowerment through and through. It delivers on a very important message that can be conveyed in many different ways. There will be many moments of visceral reactions from the viewer of what is being displayed on the screen, but it goes deeper than that. Having those intense scenes help bring out an emotional response. The visual effects help better understand the euphoria she feels when these violent acts occur and why it’s so important for Alexis. The movie is littered with beautiful colors and imagery. We get a clear picture of what these events feel for her as a character and we understand her better because of it.
Sound of Violence is one of those movies that will make you overthink on figuring out how you should feel about the main character. The first time watching this movie you will be shocked and be taken off guard. Knowing the deeper layers of the movie, you will have a lot to take out of it in multiple watches. Having this new perspective, there is a lot of rewatchability within this movie. You can take away more the second and third time watching it play out. I think it was extremely well written and all the characters are likable in their own way. This is a perfect movie for those who love music and horror. It blends both passions so flawlessly and delivers each scene in a well paced story. Alexis is a complex character that will create debates in whether she is someone you should like. I was able to interview director Alex Noyer and actor James Jagger for this movie. Make sure to check out our Creator Series on the Goodknight Movie Club Podcast.