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I’ll be sharing 3 movies that will make you appreciate the audio even more than you probably do when you initially saw them. I’m not labeling these as my favorites of all time but they are amazing and I strongly recommend them to anyone solely for a true film experience.
Memoria
This film centers around a woman named Jessica, played by Tilda Swinton, who experiences unexplained sounds and sensations while visiting Colombia. Her life slowly becomes plagued by this repetitive THUD sound, that appears to come sparsely throughout the day. As the film progresses we see it overwhelming her mind and thoughts. She is in public places, at one point having dinner with a friend and the sound is so apparent to the point she can’t hide a reaction and becomes quite alarmed. No one else seems to experience this sound, or how much louder it’s becoming.
Throughout Memoria, there are moments where the audio seems to shift and distort, creating an almost dreamlike quality to the scenes. Further emphasizing the sense of disorientation she is experiencing.
Overall, the audio and sound design in Memoria is a key element in creating a unique and immersive cinematic experience. The end is a huge twist I wasn’t expecting and it unveils the source of the sound, so go watch it! Below is a clip of one of my favorite scenes where Jessica is trying to recreate the sound she is suddenly hearing in a sound recording room with a sound engineer:
Uncut Gems
Uncut Gems is a 2019 crime thriller directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, starring Adam Sandler as a New York City jeweler and gambling addict named Howard. The film is known for its frenetic pacing and intense storytelling which I feel, comes together by it’s unique style of sound design.
The film uses a lot of overlapping of dialogue and sound effects, which helps create a chaotic atmosphere. The characters are often talking over each other, and the noise of the city is constantly present in the background, contributing to the sense of frenzied energy in Uncut Gems, as if you’re hearing real audio and not ADR. But don’t get me wrong, it’s done very well and you can clearly hear the dialogue.
The score is composed by Daniel Lopatin, and is a blend of electronic and orchestral sounds that perfectly captures the film’s intense and erratic mood. Perfectly crafting, TENSION. PRESSURE. URGENCY.
From the sound of Howards machines as he cuts gems, or the clinking of chips at a high-stakes poker table, the street noises to the club music as they’re walking through, every sound is deliberately crafted to immerse the viewer in the world of the film.
Overall, the audio and sound design in Uncut Gems is a great example of how to use sound to enhance the storytelling experience. Truly a testament to the power of audio in cinema, and a key element in making the film such a memorable and impactful cinematic experience. There is also a great twist to this movie in the end and I would highly recommend it. Here’s a video I recommend just watching a couple minutes or scrolling through it, particularly I liked minute 1:14 where it talks specifically about sound. Just a warning for profanity.
Skinamarink
Skinamarink is a horror movie made in 2022. The setting takes place in the 90s, the protagonists being two young children, Kaylee age 5 and Kevin age 4 wake up in the middle of the night to find their parents are missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. Which is probably one of the most horrifying concepts I’ve ever thought of.
The film uses a lot of overlapping of dialogue and sound effects, which helps create a chaotic atmosphere. The characters are often talking over each other, and the noise of the city is constantly present in the background, contributing to the sense of frenzied energy in Uncut Gems, as if you’re hearing real audio and not ADR. But don’t get me wrong, it’s done very well and you can clearly hear the dialogue.
The movie is slow and the sound design is careful. There’s hardly any sound at all but at the same time, the lack of sound is what makes the film as loud as it is. By lack of sound, I am referring to little to no dialogue, but silent sound effects are basically amplified, like the dragging noises of chair legs, the light flipping off and on, the dead dial tone for a telephone. All white noise in general.
Skinamarink is deliberately sparse in terms of dialogue, with much of the storytelling done through the use of ambient noise, music, and sound effects. This creates an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, with the sounds of nature and the city blending together in an almost surreal way. This is referring to just the words spoken in the movie between the protagonists and antagonist. What truly sets the tone of the scenes is the silence, which contradictory to what you might be thinking, speaks the loudest.
Vivian is 23 years old, currently studying Digital Content Creation. She specializes in Digital Design & enjoys all forms of art.
She dedicates her time to creating her own forms of art and collaborating with other artists and individuals to execute art projects.