Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

Introduced by Peter Strickland and Johnny Mains

Peter Strickland is one of the most interesting directors working in the UK today. His body of work inspires curiosity and devotion among film fans. His singular vision has created some of the most arresting films of recent years. Berberian Sound Studio features the superb Toby Jones as a sound engineer working in the mid-1970s. For his next job, he heads to Italy, to start working on a new horror movie, where his task is to put together the audio mix for the film. However, things don’t prove to be that simple. As he watches more and more of the movie in question, Jones’ character gets increasingly affected by it, to the detriment of his mental state. As he does so, Berberian Sound Studio intelligently pays homage to the likes of Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, and it emerges as something of a love letter to the Italian horror movies of the era.

It’s also an excellent film in its own right. Jones’ sound engineer is very much a fish out of water, aside from when he’s at his mixing desk, and the film is anchored by one of his best-ever performances.

Dir. Peter Strickland, UK, 2012, 88 mins.

Cast. Toby Jones, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Susanna Cappellaro, Layla Amir.

Age Restriction: 15 certificate

Image credit: Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

Host or Publisher The Arts Institute