'Berberian Sound Studio (2012)' is essentially an arty ode to cinematic sound design, focusing on a mousy sound technician who begins working on an incredibly violent 'Giallo' film and finds himself increasingly disturbed by it. You don't actually see any of the film-within-a-film except for its opening credits, with the sounds created by the characters being the only indication (as well as some brief verbal descriptions) of what's going on in each scene. It works surprisingly well, conveying the brutality of the piece without portraying even a single drop of blood. The picture itself has phenomenal sound design, the kind that can make even the simplest of things seem entirely otherworldly. It's often used to create a creepy atmosphere where something just doesn't quite sit right and it works wonders. Where the film sort of falls down a bit is in its ending, which is a little underwhelming and kind of makes the movie feel as though it lacks an actual point. Still, the third act is suitably strange and the way in which the very fabric of the film itself starts to unravel is actually rather riveting. Ultimately, this is an exercise in style over substance. Thankfully, that style is superb. 7/10.
Review of Berberian Sound Studio
