Sounds Like 

Deeply affected by a personal tragedy, an office drone comes to realize his sense of hearing has taken on extraordinary capabilities that could drive him insane.

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers:

Mick Garris (creator), Brad Anderson (teleplay)

Stars:

Chris Bauer, Matty Finochio, Laura Margolis

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Bauer	...	Larry Pearce
Matty Finochio	...	Tech
Laura Margolis	...	Brenda
Matthew Burgess	...	Tech 3
Blaine Anderson	...	Tech 2
Linnea Sharples	...	Tech 1
Nicholas Elia	...	Larry's Son
Grant Elliott	...	Doctor
Richard Kahan	...	David
Robert Underwood	...	Father
Jaida Kong	...	Daughter
Michael Daingerfield	...	Jim
David Allan Pearson	...	Manager
David Lovgren	...	Therapist
Nimet Kanji	...	Cashier

Storyline

Larry Pearce is a dour office worker in a phone answering company who is having problems getting over the recent death of his young son from a rare brain disorder. Larry's grief has somehow triggered his acute sense of hearing 20-fold which he can hear a whispered conversation from hundreds of feet away. But his ability soon affects his sanity as he learns he cannot control it and all efforts to block out sound are futile, which puts a strain on his long-suffering wife Brenda, who unlike him, cannot stand quiet. As as result, Larry's slow slide into insanity because of his gift/curse of sensitive hearing and inability to deal with the grief of the loss of his son, leads to more tragedy for all involved.

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Plot Keywords:

hearing | grief | office | death | sound | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 2006 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Starz!, Nice Guy Productions, Industry Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When talking to the shrink, Larry says he monitors 531 conversations a day, then says "that's 2,655 times a day...". He should have said 2,655 times a week.

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Connections

Referenced in Unikal'noe pozdravlenie (2014)

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Soundtracks

Foetus Of a New Day Kicking
performed by Cradle of Filth

User Reviews

Madness in Season 2

I'm starting to notice a little trend in season 2 so far and that is with the theme of madness and alienation. In "Damned Thing" we had the madness embodied in a vengeful spirit representing mankind's greed and corruption, this demon descends upon a town and drives it's residents into a murderous frenzy. In "Family" we had an alienated man who's clearly gone insane by finding his connection with people is best made by killing them and implementing them as skeletons into his home unit.

And now comes along "Sounds Like", another episode dealing with these two themes. The story follows a man who has lost all love and connection towards the world. He has grown distant from his wife, is awkward when talking to neighbors or co-workers, and spends most of his time in the garage where he blocks out all the sounds of the world with ear guards while doing odd jobs. What really makes this episode work so well is the truly horrific look of anguish on our protagonist's/antagonist's face every time he is bombarded by the noise around him.

From the deafening grinding metal on metal as his wife knits to the ominous beep of the fire detector's dying battery in his house, Brad Anderson has created a truly torturing world for his lead character to endure. In this world is actually a very interesting message as well. That sometimes the quiet, serene sides of nature and the silence which can be found in everyday life is much more valuable than one may think. In surrounding ourselves with the hectic city environment of cell phones, road construction, and office politics; its a wonder more people haven't completely lost it in their mundane day to day existence. Of course having extra sensitive hearing and loosing ones son doesn't help with this all either. But "Sounds Like", although a stellar horror film on its own, is also a strangely intriguing character/societal study.

As tensions build from the overwhelming noise and stress in this world, "Sounds Like" builds up to a disturbing and terrifying conclusion. Every single amplified sound effect is used extremely effectively to provide a more intimate approach for it's viewers. In watching "Sounds Like" its hard NOT to feel bad for the lead character in some ways. And its even harder not to feel like you're going a little mad from the noises in the film as well. They are overwhelming, annoying, unnerving, and intelligently used.

Overall, an excellent episode. Brad Anderson has crafted an, at times, brilliant tale with this one. If Season 2 of Masters Of Horror has been disappointing for you so far, this installment should reassure you that good things are still to come. I'd say this one deserves a respectable 8 out of 10, and that rating will likely increase after the subsequent re-viewings it deserves.