SOUND OF VIOLENCE (2021)
Alex Noyer’s SOUND OF VIOLENCE is an underrated 2021 gem. The film is based on Noyer’s award-winning short, CONDUCTOR. The short version is also good, but it cannot compete with the beast that is the full-length movie. SOUND OF VIOLENCE is not only cool on too many levels to comprehend. It also gives us intersectionality in a lead character, and possibly one of my favorite performances by Jasmin Savoy Brown. It is also big on the giallo vibes and has a few unforgettable kills. That is why it is my pleasure to inform you all that you need to add it to your watchlist immediately.
The movie is Alexis Reeves’ story. We get a glimpse of her difficult childhood and the violent act that left her an orphan. During this unsettling bloodbath, Young Alexis (Kamia Benge) discovers she has synesthesia and experiences sound for the first time. SOUND OF VIOLENCE then skips ahead so we can see Alexia as an adult (Brown). She is a brilliant student with a supportive roommate, Marie (Lili Simmons). While Noyer’s script, featuring a Black woman who is Deaf as the main character, is already a significant step forward from most movies, he doesn’t stop there. We soon discover Alexis has feelings for Marie, meaning she is also a queer character. As someone constantly screaming for more intersectionality, this is a huge win.
As Alexis has made synesthesia a huge part of her research, she is trying to capture the sounds of extreme pain for her project. So, when she begins to lose her hearing again, she begins to spiral. She goes to some dark places and turns to murder like any good slasher. That’s right. SOUND OF VIOLENCE allows a queer Black Deaf woman to be the problem instead of the perfect victim. That alone makes it worth watching. The fact that it’s a good movie is a very lovely bonus, though. Watching Alexis creatively murder people while recording the sounds of her victims' deaths is one of my favorite things. I have watched this film at least ten times since discovering it during the pandemic.
I hate that SOUND OF VIOLENCE gets left out of the conversation when we discuss films that let us follow the killer. In part because the other killers are usually white guys, and that’s so boring. That makes Alexis even cooler because we very rarely see anyone with any of her identities get to stab people in a horror movie. Let alone anyone at any of the intersections that make her feel like a real person. The other reason I get pissed about the Alexis erasure is that we know Jasmin Savoy THEE Brown doesn’t miss. However, they (Brown’s pronouns are she/they) give the performance of someone who has an Oscar in their future.
Long before they alerted us, we must stan in Yellowjackets and two of my favorite SCREAM sequels, they turned out a stellar performance in SOUND OF VIOLENCE. Brown makes us sympathize with Alexis even as we fear for her. They also navigate the tortured artist who has become a monster of their own making (a narrative that seems to be exclusively given to white guys) with so much flair that it makes me want a sequel. Let’s not forget Alexis and Marie are also characters in what feels like a gothic romance in a modern-day era. There is so much to love about this movie, but Brown stands out for all the right reasons. They make us root for Alexis and secretly wish for her to get away with all these murders because we feel bad for her. This movie is a tragedy, and Brown understood the entire assignment.
All that said, SOUND OF VIOLENCE doesn’t let that stop our sympathetic villain from striving for her dreams. As things escalate, the people in her orbit begin to pose a threat. This is where the kills get less fun and more operatic. They get more over the top as Alexis feels worse about what she has to do. This culminates in a final moment that is her magnum opus. She amplifies her pain in a way that forces people to listen when she finally must kill the person closest to her. While the movie feels complete, there is so much room for another chapter. I keep hoping for that next story, whatever it might be. I want more Alexis, and I want more characters like her.
If you have seen SOUND OF VIOLENCE, rewatch it. Hopefully, you’ve learned more about the subgenres it’s stitching together over the years to appreciate it in new ways. If you haven’t seen it, then get ready for a ride and to rearrange your favorite Jasmin Savoy Brown performances.
