Can You Hear It? – The Hum Movie Review
Tinnitus is a real, far reaching thing. Some causes are obvious (hello concert goers!) and some are up for debate. But the bottom line is living with a persistent noise can wear on you in surprising ways.
That’s basically the ramped up idea behind The Hum, which came to us by way of director F. C. Rabbath.
This mysterious hum doesn’t just drone out the world – it rises and falls like an unpredictable, nerve-killing boogeyman. And without giving too much away the movie serves as a terrific metaphor about weeding out the noise in our lives to focus on what matters. With the core character experiencing an existential crisis – a character drama genre label fits well.
The Hum also makes some really bold and interesting choices when it comes to colorization and shot set ups. So much of the movie is jarringly bright – dovetailing beautifully with the idea of sensory overload. It all feels too much at times, which seems to be entirely the goal. It isn’t a POV movie by any stretch, but a visual dynamic that helps the viewer slide into the world the main character inhabits.
We kick off the movie with a married couple who don’t communicate. They are cold and distant. They both lost a spark for life. However George seems to be looking for ways out in the all the wrong places as he battles the ever-present hum.
Like most, I feel that the end of a movie can nearly entirely make or break it. I’m happy to share that The Hum reaches a surprising but satisfying end.
