For 63 years, a mountain known as the Forbidden Wall’s been off-limits to climbers — not that anyone in recorded history reached its peak. Oh, they’ve tried, but never completed the treacherous task. Somewhere along the way, they fell victim to an evil aural presence that drove them insane enough to unhook their gear and take the Nestea plunge.
Now, the tribal council in charge of the sacred chunk of rock has voted to allow half a dozen of the world’s greatest climbers to give it a go. This time, it’s personal — at least for chill dude-bro Sean (Marc Hills, Blood, Beach, Betrayal): His gramps was the last to attempt the climb. You’ll repeatedly hear this story — and more! — in the exposition dump that constitutes the first 25 minutes of The Sound.
The expedition’s boss is our antagonist. We know this because his name is Colton. Played by Nicholas Baroudi (The Hating Game), Colton arrives like he’s Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross, spouting such tuff-boss speech as, “I’m the boss, end of story. Don’t like it, there’s the door, I got 30 other people ready to take your spot.” (I’m paraphrasing, barely.)
We also meet the tribal chief (Wayne Charles Baker, Pathfinder), whose character is so stock, it could make soup. (Sample condescending dialogue: “The ravens told me you were out for a walk.”) The chief gives Sean a bonus task: “Seal that evil in forever.” Replies Sean, “What am I supposed to do? I’m just a rock climber.” Well, dumbo, for starters, you’re the one going up there.
As Jerzy Skolimowski did with 1978’s The Shout, sophomore writer/director Brendan Devane (The Canyonlands) faces a peculiar creative dilemma: When your story hinges on a sound that kills, how do you represent that for your audience? Or do you at all, leaving it to their imagination?
Not crafting a picture of nuances, of course Devane gives sound to, well, the sound. It’s a hodgepodge of voices and feedback and assorted auditory racket — nothing special or all that menacing. But sound design is the least of the film’s troubles. I mean, what do you think will become of the guy named Lucky? (Should you be waffling, would it help if I mentioned he’s not white?)
Although giving speaking parts to real-life pro climbers (like Alex Honnold of the Oscar-winning doc Free Solo) is a nice, respectful gesture on Devane’s part, these remarkable athletes aren’t remotely skilled as actors. His decision to center the movie around Hills is almost as baffling; as Sean, the guy has presence — but one best described as “sleepy.”
Then again, Hills is asked to breathe life into dialogue that wouldn’t take spark with strike-anywhere matches. Take, for example, Sean’s mid-cliff convo with fellow climber Kristin (Rachel Finninger, Monstrous) after the acoustic from Abaddon again rears its fury:
Shaun: “I felt it in my head. Which means it can be in anyone’s head. It can be in your head.”
Kristin: “Are you, you know, you?”
Shaun: “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Of all the script’s figurative missteps, the biggest and most brainless is what happens — or who pops up, really — in the finale. It’s so wrongheaded, I’m tempted to reveal it, yet mere words wouldn’t do the jaw-dropper justice.
And popping up elsewhere in cameos, thirtysomething’s David Clennon and Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass appear via FaceTime. On the bright side, The Sound features some great photography when it’s not obviously on a set. —Rod Lott