Review of Berberian Sound Studio (2012) by Andy W — 15 Jan 2013

An excellent follow-up to Katalin Varga from Peter Strickland, this claustrophobic film will appeal to both fans of horror cinema and messed-up subjective nightmares. It's a film based around contrasts - from cardigan wearing Surrey audio technician Gilderoy as a fish out of water in a loud vibrant, and creepily sleazy Italian Giallo studio to the absurdly funny sound effects techniques, such as hammered watermelon or stabbed cabbage, used to create genuinely sickening horror movie sounds.

Interestingly, we never see more than the opening credits to the Giallo horror Gilderoy is hired for, and yet Gilderoys gradual unravelling as the graphic violence of the film starts to unbalance him is quite believable.

It's all told from a subjective perspective, so the film morphs into a nightmare but Strickland never lets it go too far out of control, which I think is a positive - it would've been too easy to turn it into a generic psychological-horror film, crudely bringing the screen horror to reality.

The Lynchian head-trip route is far more appropriate. Both Jones and the Mediterranean cast are excellent, as are the technical details and Strickland proves himself again to be a talented director of moods created through attention to detail and subtlety, if not narrative as much in this case.