The Sound and the Shadow

Studio: Marvista Entertainment
Directed by Justin Paul Miller

Apr 19, 2016 By Stephen Mayne Web Exclusive

Sooner or later there comes a time when everyone working in the sound recording business is going to get dragged into a criminal investigation. In the case of some (Gene Hackman in The Conversation) it’s almost to be expected, while for others (John Travolta in Blow Out) it’s a complete surprise. Socially anxious, allergy-ridden Harold definitely falls into the second category in The Sound and the Shadow, a slow burning thriller that packs in enough gripping moments to cover unconvincing relationships and a lack of fresh ideas.

Harold (Joseph E. Murray) is a middle-aged man very much used to the solitary life. He lives in a small house rigged with microphones, spending his days listening in on neighbours. Unfortunately, bills don’t really allow for that lifestyle, forcing him to take in an energetic roommate in Mary Kate Wiles’ quirky Ally. While they get their odd couple thing going, the child of a neighbor goes missing, and Harold’s recordings might just hold the answer.

Taken in isolation, so much of The Sound and the Shadow functions perfectly. Murray gets Harold down to a tee, mixing passive-aggressive frustration with a hidden desire to do the right thing. The cheese to his chalk, Ally, the dyed hair, pierced and bicycle riding young lodger, is infectiously played by Wiles. Either is worthy of screen time, just not together.

They simply don’t meld in the way writer/director Justin Paul Miller intends. It’s never clear why Ally is so keen to reform her new roommate, or why Harold is so quick to let her. The reveal of deeper trauma on his side does at least fill in some blanks, but there’s nothing for Ally, barring a thin romance with her anonymous friend Kyle (Alex Anfanger). She’s mostly stuck as a plot catalyst to drive the mystery of the missing child ever onwards.

Here a tense thriller does emerge. With enough false starts and surprise turns along the way, their investigation grips tighter by the minute, making great use of a couple of genuinely scary scenes involving pedestrian tunnels and bird cages. Constant overbearing sound, amped up through Harold’s obsessive recordings only intensify the situation. When the end of the story does finally come, it’s suitably unexpected.

The Sound and the Shadow mostly churns up old ground, both with the accidentally recorded crime angle and oddball central characters, but strong performances and well-crafted narrative do enough to cover shortcomings.

Reviews