The Ulitmate Playlist of Noise

The Ultimate Playlist of Noise
Starring Keean Johnson, Madeline Brewer, Rya Kihlstedt, Ian Gomez
Directed by Bennett Lasseter

Last year's "Sound of Metal" was on my top five favorite films of the year, and focused on a heavy metal drummer who was struggling with loosing his hearing - and main source of income and life - and how he handled the situation.  It was a compelling, thought-provoking, powerful film led by Riz Ahmed and his tremendous acting ability, and resulted in a stellar effort.  In 2021, the issue of going deaf hits the screen again with "The Ultimate Playlist of Noise," but its more geared for a younger audience than "Sound of Metal," and the journey is more jovial than earth-shattering, but still packs a powerful punch by introducing unique shocking twists and a swelling dramatic conclusion that'll easily bring a tear or two to your eye.

Marcus (Keean Johnson) is a high school senior who's obsessed with music.  He makes different playlists for friends and fellow schoolmates for each and every situation (from the Ultimate Playlist of Third Dates to the Ultimate Playlist of Suburban Acid Trips), and has always had a fondness for music since his older brother Alex (Gordon Winarick) introduced it to him at a younger age - and also saved Marcus's young life from a fire that claimed Alex's life. 

While attending a concert with two friends, he sees Wendy (Madeline Brewer) playing as the opening act, and is smitten by her singing as well as her overall appearance, but when he goes to try and talk to her, he's elbowed in the face by a dancer and suffers a seizure.  He awakens in the hospital and learns that he'll need surgery to remove a tumor in his brain, but in the process it will destroy his auditory function, rendering him deaf with no hope to ever hear again. 

Distraught, he learns that Alex recorded a demo that he never heard before, and wants to take a trip from Michigan to New York City to get the tape, and along the way record forty-nine other noises to give his hearing a "going-away party."  Unfortunately, his mother Alyssa (Rya Kihlstedt) is against the idea, so he sneaks away at night to accomplish his goal - and literally runs into Wendy while she's on the run from her abusive boyfriend.  It turns out she is also planning on going to New York City to record a demo of her own.  They decide to travel together and they share in Marcus's plan to record fifty different noises (from bowling pins to an auctioneer, to a thunderstorm and wind chimes) to give his hearing a proper sendoff before reaching New York City, where both discover hidden secrets and fears that bubble to the surface.

The majority of "The Ultimate Playlist of Noise" is your typical young adult film that appeals to the younger generations, but still holds an important message and asks a deep question: how would you handle learning that you'll soon be going deaf with no chance of ever hearing anything again?  It's a deep question and deeper still since it's being asked to a kid who literally has his whole life ahead of him, and who values sound above anything else.  It's not a death sentence, but for Marcus, it might as well be.  When he discovers he'll loose his hearing, we're treated to a unique spin on this life-altering event: instead of focusing on music, people talking, or other things you'd come to expect someone like Marcus to want to hear, he focuses on the most mundane of sounds: butter scraping over bread, leaves rustling, a key turning in a lock.  You learn that Marcus doesn't just love music or voice, but he values the most minuscule of sounds, which only adds to the heartbreak in knowing that he'll soon be loosing that which he truly loves.

You'd expect Marcus to break down and give up, but instead he hatches a plan to give his hearing a proper send-off by traveling to New York City to record different sounds for his Ultimate Playlist of Noise, and it's in this adventure that we're gifted with the relationship between Marcus and Wendy, and their friendly banter that endears us to both the characters in deeply personal ways that wasn't expected, and only adds to the tension once the final act begins.  This is due in almost its entirety to the chemistry between Keean Johnson and Madeline Brewer, which is palpable and totally believable - it doesn't seem like these two just met, but they've been best friends for years.  Their comradere is infectious and you can tell both really care for one another, which helps the middle of the film from dragging on needlessly.

Ultimately it comes down to the final act, which finds Marcus coming to terms with what's happening to his hearing, as well as other shocking news that turns his life upside down, and where Rya Kihlstedt - who plays Marcus's mother - really shines.  The moments between mother and son here are tumultuous, heartfelt, heart-breaking, and downright rough to watch, as Marcus realizes that he'll soon loose his hearing, and his mother realizing that her son will never be the same again.  These moments make the film exceptional, instead of just another ho-hum road trip movie, and there's genuine kudos for Johnson and Kihlstedt's performances.

Proving that we shouldn't take any small noise for granted, "The Ultimate Playlist of Noise" offers an intimate look at one kid's struggle with facing the loss of his hearing and the adventure he goes on to give his greatest sense a proper send-off.

The Score: A+