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Berberian Sound Studio
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Berberian Sound Studio

2012
Horror
1h 32m
In the 1970s, a British sound technician is brought to Italy to work on the sound effects for a gruesome horror film. His nightmarish task slowly takes over his psyche, driving him to confront his own past. Berberian Sound Studio is many things: an anti-horror film, a stylistic tour de force, and a dream of cinema. (mubi.com)
Directed by:
Peter Strickland Peter Strickland
Written by:
Peter Strickland Peter Strickland
Starring:
Toby Jones Toby Jones Suzy Kendall Suzy Kendall Cosimo Fusco Antonio Mancino Fatma Mohamed Salvatore Li Causi Tonia Sotiropoulou Susanna Cappellaro Layla Amir Hilda Péter Chiara D'Anna Eugenia Caruso
More
Genre:
Horror
Country:
UK
Languages:
English, Italian, Greek
imdb More information at IMDb
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Berberian Sound Studio

2012
Horror
1h 32m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 48.62% from 700 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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backwardsuitbackwardsuit
Rated 12 Nov 2014
80
80th
One of the few successful ''anti-horror'' experiments of the last few years. Atmospheric, disturbing and technically very competent take on the strange & bewitching dreamland of 70s Italian horror. It's kind of a demented love letter to all those sleazy yet stylistic giallo weirdies from Fulci, Bava, Argento etc. It's also an affectionate depiction of a style of filmmaking that has sadly become extinct. Brilliant dynamic between sound & visuals and yet another great performance from Toby Jones.
Rated 12 Nov 2014
barthalenBarthalen
Rated 07 Feb 2013
79
77th
It's all about the atmosphere, baby. Does ninety minutes of slowly building discomfort and exhaustion sound good to you? (Pun not intended) I quite enjoyed hanging back and slowly sinking into this unsettling scenario. Has a few delicious mindfucks near the end, though it tends to get weird for the sake of weird a bit too often and can easily come off as aimless.
Rated 07 Feb 2013
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 23 Feb 2013
4
55th
its collage of analogue sound manipulations is consuming and weirdly elegiac (giallo meets 'the conversation'?), with cycles of fruit-squelching and shrieking damsels becoming so ritualised they're practically orgiastic, forcing us to share in both gilderoy's self-loathing english complicity and the slimy continental filmmakers' barely disguised relish. script is surprisingly sharp, but the ending unnecessarily and somewhat derivatively literalizes the already palpable subtext.
Rated 23 Feb 2013
frederikaFrederikA
Rated 16 Apr 2015
90
96th
Charming, unnerving and all-in-all quite sublime love letter (or hate mail depending on your views) to sleezy 70s Giallo production. The standout, not surprisingly is its brilliant implementation of sound design both in the narrative and in creating the unsettling atmosphere. Plot-wise it most definitely goes off the rails in the end and leaves you there, but, I'll allow it.
Rated 16 Apr 2015
theficionadotheficionado
Rated 05 Oct 2015
88
87th
Horror movie as a cocoon of simulacra. Skeptically critical of the ideology of authorship (or auteurism) in many of the same ways as Black Swan, but whereas that film culminated with the (literal?) disfiguration and destruction of its protagonist in pursuit of someone else's vision, this film posits a different path: complicity, diminishing notions of selfhood, and -- eventually -- (literal?) absorption into the project itself. Love AFlickering's description of "giallo meets The Conversation."
Rated 05 Oct 2015
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 04 Jan 2014
75
59th
Some great mood here. Doesn't really have the depth to pull off its degradation into insanity at the end, but with such mood that doesn't matter too much.
Rated 04 Jan 2014
thesaberfoolTheSaberfool
Rated 11 Jan 2015
30
19th
A slow, slow build to absolutely nothing. An interesting concept for a film, but it goes nowhere. All points are for the ability to create an unsettling atmosphere - unfortunately it is not an atmosphere in service of anything resembling a story. Might have worked for me as a short film, but a feature length presentation with no plot is ultimately a complete bore for me.
Rated 11 Jan 2015
tinysausagetinysausage
Rated 06 Sep 2012
74
57th
There is much to love in this ambitious, ambiguous film: its utterly 70's, analogue feel (gorgeously shot on Alexa!), the giallo setting, the dark humour; but in the end Jones' English restraint is too underplayed to really get inside his head. Perhaps it needs a rewatch in a double bill with Persona?
Rated 06 Sep 2012
christiaanbchristiaanb
Rated 12 Jun 2014
78
58th
I feel like I lack the concepts to pin down this movie. The visual style is distinctive and the exploration of horror through sound instead of sight was new to me. On the other hand I felt like I was watching an elongated introduction to a movie that never quite took off.
Rated 12 Jun 2014
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 25 Jan 2013
67
19th
Great sound design and editing, but otherwise a pretty empty, if stylish, experience. I find this kind of slow endless tension to be really hard to take unless I have a strong character to hang on to. Toby Jones is not the actor to do that, not that he's really given the chance to try.
Rated 25 Jan 2013
barraocBarraoc
Rated 21 Feb 2015
50
19th
I was expecting a superior horror movie, but what I got was a movie about creating the soundtrack for an inferior horror movie. Not the same thing.
Rated 21 Feb 2015
astrakhanastrakhan
Rated 09 Apr 2013
76
43rd
Peter Strickland's film probes new depths of experimental weirdness. Initially it plays straight (if you can call it that) as a slow-burning mystery, fetishising the apparatus of cinema while paying obvious homage to giallo era films. Soon, though, Strickland abandons his narrative to riff with sound design and atmosphere - it becomes a mood piece. That's before we even get into the zany, metaphysical, time-and-language-bending vortex of weird which is nearly as affecting as it is baffling.
Rated 09 Apr 2013
kramyessevKramYessev
Rated 14 Jan 2013
72
62nd
When people say that "Cabin in the Woods" was successful in its parody/satire of horror, I shall refer them to this. "Berberian Sound Studio" flips the genre on its head without being pretentious or patronising, mostly because Strickland clearly has knowledge and a fondness for the genre. This isn't just "Look at all these cliches lol" that people found so witty in Cabin, this is multi-layered, complex and quite profound. The third act is a bit rushed, however, hence the slightly lower score.
Rated 14 Jan 2013
amerigoamerigo
Rated 19 Jul 2019
79
61st
A film sui generis. Yeah, there's a whole bunch of meta-films (particularly ones focused on the production [rather than the consumption] of movies), but this film is set apart by its loving attention to soundscapes, bizarre behind the scenes interactions and a strangely unsettling yet comfortable atmosphere. Still, there does seem to be something missing in tying things up in the third act. A full-on immersion into French New Wave seems a little lazy given how sprawling the narrative feels.
Rated 19 Jul 2019
caimancaiman
Rated 01 Mar 2013
83
72nd
This is a movie that absolutely revels in cinematic technique. It's rare to see a film that presents such a pure sensory experience. The vivid sights and sounds work both to envelop us in this film's style, and to pay homage to the great Italian horror films of the 70s. As for the surrealism of it all, I enjoyed that too. Very ambiguous, but I think there's enough there for me to piece together some semblance of a theory upon a second viewing.
Rated 01 Mar 2013
terrymacterrymac
Rated 17 Jul 2013
75
72nd
There is a real craft on display here, in terms of camerawork, sound design and editing. The film pays effective homage, in concept and execution, to the single aspect of the film-making process upon which it focuses and also the Italian horror films of the 1970s; there will be a lot to like here for fans of that genre. The film gets more uncomfortable and atmospheric as it proceeds, developing into something Lynchian. A most curious, ambiguous and enjoyable movie.
Rated 17 Jul 2013
bofbof
Rated 10 Nov 2013
66
52nd
Probably helps if you're a big giallo fan, but it builds a very effective mood before going off the rails a bit at the end.
Rated 10 Nov 2013
sirrobbieSirRobbie
Rated 16 Jan 2013
80
81st
Fantastic use of sound + great visuals + Toby Jones, who btw is one of the best actors today. Not too scary for a horror but has atmosphere and style. Recommended especially for Giallo fans.
Rated 16 Jan 2013
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 01 Apr 2015
6
54th
I like it more on paper. Peter Strickland is definitely a director to watch, though.
Rated 01 Apr 2015
disasterDisaster
Rated 07 Jan 2014
56
13th
Atmospherically cool but what the hell is the story? Where is it? Where does it /go/?
Rated 07 Jan 2014
rttntomatoesrttntomatoes
Rated 22 Dec 2013
83
61st
Its reach may exceed its grasp, but with Berberian Sound Studio, director Peter Strickland assembles a suitably twisted, creepy tribute to the Italian Giallo horror movies of the '70s that benefits from a strong central performance by Toby Jones.
Rated 22 Dec 2013
filmfreak88filmfreak88
Rated 03 Jan 2014
40
15th
The innovative amalgamation of sound and visuals is impressive and conveys an eerie and unnerving atmosphere more effectively than any straight up gore ever could. Its early promise is, however, wasted as the film slowly devolves into a psychologically hollow and indecipherable mess that aspires for Lynchian storytelling but misses the mark completely.
Rated 03 Jan 2014
markimarkMarkimark
Rated 09 Feb 2024
75
69th
As a former sound recordist who went through a burnout in film and tv industry I find this highly relatable. Pure horror.
Rated 09 Feb 2024
prowlerprowler
Rated 23 Jan 2014
36
30th
definitely worth watching if only for the vintage horror sound fetish feast
Rated 23 Jan 2014
picklemanPickle_Man
Rated 10 Jul 2018
95
87th
Not knowing this was about a giallo going in to it and then getting the fake title sequence was like opening the world's greatest Christmas present.
Rated 10 Jul 2018
ddrudgesd_drudges
Rated 17 Sep 2014
30
30th
If you make a film about filmmaking without having some extraordinary idea behind it, you're just being lazy. The plot seems coincidental to just showing neat things about sound editing, and as a result doesn't quite work.
Rated 17 Sep 2014
kasperlKasperL
Rated 11 Dec 2016
75
77th
This enjoyably uncatering tribute to slocky Italian cinema in which style becomes the content comes threateningly close to grinding to a halt. But said style kept me more or less engaged throughout. I'm hoping that Strickland will make a genre film of his own one day.
Rated 11 Dec 2016
walkenrollWalkenRoll
Rated 05 Sep 2012
80
74th
If you're lucky enough to live close to one of the five cinemas its currently being shown at, then you're in for a treat...it helps immensely to be a fan of Giallo from the off...otherwise you'll be lost completely. Incredibly unsettling, yet at times hilarious. The sound design is impeccable. You'll never look at horror films the same again
Rated 05 Sep 2012
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 14 Oct 2014
62
60th
Meta-giallo (or perhaps more accurately anti-giallo?) with music by Broadcast and faux-credits for the film-within-the-film by Julian House, there's a lot for me to potentially love here. For the most part it's very well done, and it comes about as close to a "hauntological" film as it's credentials would imply. It maybe kind of tries to explore too many ideas while at the same time not really having enough actually happening onscreen to completely work, but it's an admirable effort nonetheless.
Rated 14 Oct 2014
space_popeSpace Pope
Rated 07 Sep 2013
70
51st
The atmosphere was amazing throughout and the first two acts were stellar, but the third act lost me. I'm just not good enough with the language of cinema to appreciate precisely whatever was being done there. Still, I enjoyed it, and the confusion I felt at the end at least gelled decently with the overall crumbling of sanity going on throughout the film.
Rated 07 Sep 2013
snallygastersnallygaster
Rated 29 Nov 2016
41
35th
Loved all the sound design details but the eventual turn to a smorgasbord of New Wave techniques didn't seem well linked to the plot at all. I'm not the biggest Mulholland Drive fan, but I couldn't help thinking of the Lynch film and how frequently it does the same things better.
Rated 29 Nov 2016
wezzoWezzo
Rated 07 Jan 2013
86
70th
Toby Jones is brilliant in this claustrophobic, Lynchian mindfuck.
Rated 07 Jan 2013
abunchofcatsABUNCHOFCATS
Rated 05 Sep 2013
75
39th
Maybe if this wasn't pitched as horror it would be more effective. It's very David Lynch and is as horror as his stuff is which is to say it's about atmosphere building a tense, unsettling world that you do not understand. I love Toby Jones and he's good in this role. The movie is a slow, slow build and exercise in atmosphere but if that's your bag give this movie a shot. It's the David Lynch movie David Lynch didn't make.
Rated 05 Sep 2013
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 06 Jun 2013
75
29th
Yup. They used to do sound for movies this way. That's kinda cool. A few really good sequences.
Rated 06 Jun 2013
stuie299stuie299
Rated 15 Oct 2022
60
15th
The sound and production design are phenomenal. The way they're used to create such unsettling atmosphere is great and all, but what exactly are they servicing? The movie is super slow, and the character and plot are so thin they're basically translucent with only vague outlines visible. Maybe if you're a big fan of 70's Italian horror you might like it on a purely stylistic level, but otherwise you should feel very ok in skipping this one.
Rated 15 Oct 2022
overratedoverrated
Rated 21 Oct 2022
56
57th
Great first and second acts, before a disappointing wet fart of an end. In this as well as the subject matter, it could be considered a companion piece to Pontypool.
Rated 21 Oct 2022
tomwalshtomwalsh
Rated 22 Jun 2013
63
50th
I don't know what to make of the story in this one, but I don't think that's important. What's important here is "feel" and atmosphere. And, sound, of course.
Rated 22 Jun 2013
neonmanNeonman
Rated 21 Oct 2017
69
35th
Nifty little film that immediately shows its love (as well as attention to detail) for both film sound design from the '70s and Giallo films, without exactly replicating this era. It's quite the love letter and boosted by some fun characters with the way they handle post-sound, though the film isn't sure where to continue on with this and fizzles towards its ending. Would've made a better 20-30 minute film, for sure.
Rated 21 Oct 2017
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 23 Nov 2019
67
57th
You would be hard-pressed to find a horror film more dedicated to nuance and build up. The sound obviously steals the show but everything works pretty well to help shape this into a very unsettling unfolding. Once it does unfold, it feels a bit rushed (probably impossible not to after the slow burn) but that's excusable when taking in the entire experience.
Rated 23 Nov 2019
worstcasesceworstcasesce
Rated 30 Jun 2013
1
0th
Would love to say I enjoyed this more than I did, but it never really grabbed me and I found it unsatisfying, both on a thematic and narrative level. Score is not a grade.
Rated 30 Jun 2013
ratedarghratedargh
Rated 24 Aug 2013
75
54th
"It must have been the magpies." It will frustrate viewers unwilling or unable to give themselves over to the nightmare logic permeating the film. It may not be totally coherent, something it shares with many of Argento's films, but it is visually impressive with perfect sound and a heavy sense of dread. It's effective, though imperfect. Those seeking clarity and an easily navigable narrative, beware!
Rated 24 Aug 2013
dewritedewrite
Rated 27 Apr 2015
80
33rd
I originally pursued this film for the soundtrack (Broadcast are my favorite group, and emulate library music excellently) the whole experience of this film is edgy and tense on a subtle level, feels like there's a third rail through this film, buzzing and ready to zap you if you come too close...
Rated 27 Apr 2015
facsimileFacsimile
Rated 23 Sep 2020
60
34th
The films sound design, as good as it was, and Giallo setting were not enough to keep me engaged for it's entirety. It was not a badly made film, but it was a film that has, ultimately, left no impression on me.
Rated 23 Sep 2020
ag0stomesmerAg0stoMesmer
Rated 24 Nov 2013
4
91st
Stylish and intriguing identity horror(?). Jones was great, directorial flourishes took me out of it a couple of times but, might make 5 on a re-watch.
Rated 24 Nov 2013
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 10 Oct 2019
84
87th
A deconstruction of the horror film that leads to some seriously heady, postmodern metacinematic mindfuck goodness.
Rated 10 Oct 2019
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Dec 2020
55
53rd
In some way a hybrid of THE CONVERSATION and MULHOLLAND DRIVE, but the ultra-passive Gilderoy is a far less compelling protagonist than Harry Caul, and his journey into a dark, confused morass of dream, reality and cinema is far less evocative than Betty's, petering out rather than building to an effective finale. But even if this is more like a well-done exercise than a convincing work, it nevertheless shows promise and good intentions. Hopefully Strickland won't just be perpetually promising.
Rated 14 Dec 2020
steakbunsSteakbuns
Rated 31 Jan 2014
80
57th
A display of the effect a negative, suppressive work environment can have on the mind, presenting itself as a slow-burn, psychological thriller. Toby Jones does a good job with what is mostly a blank-slate role, but the Italian supporting cast is great, filling the corners of this surreal film with all-too-real, mostly abrasive personalities. The period setting gives the foley scenes extra strength, giving the audience a taste of the mind-numbing repetition required at the time.
Rated 31 Jan 2014
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 30 Jun 2014
69
44th
I thought this would be really good and creepy but maybe I'm just too weird? It worked, sure, but it just wasn't as flat out terrifying and scary as I had hoped, though the third act of the film certainly has it's moments. Perhaps a rewatch is needed once I acquaint myself with Italian horror more. Maybe I missed things while I was watching it, maybe I shouldn't watch heavily subtitled films late at night because they make me tired, maybe I'm an idiot, or maybe I'm not freaked out by Italians.
Rated 30 Jun 2014
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 10 Jun 2017
78
70th
There are few films in which style and subject matter are so interwoven than in this movie. It uses the style and most of all the sound effects of horror to create an eerie atmosphere. It's the kind of movie one has to just go with the flow, because when you start overthinking this one realize their isn't anybody in real danger. In doing so Strickland shows how much of the viewers expectations is dependent on style and music and not on plot.
Rated 10 Jun 2017
gabrielpGabriel_p
Rated 20 Jun 2021
70
44th
Atmospheric, but ultimately pointless. Not sure I would even classify this as horror.
Rated 20 Jun 2021
honeybHoneyB
Rated 29 Jan 2021
73
50th
Sound mixing looks like some kind of witch's rite itself. I've never thought of it that way. Less successful part is that slow descent into insanity, it reminded me of Polanski.
Rated 29 Jan 2021
cgcorecgcore
Rated 26 Jan 2014
57
42nd
great cinematography, very strange giallo alike movie. amazing sound, but i wish it had a sensible script.
Rated 26 Jan 2014
dtortumdtortum
Rated 07 Jul 2013
80
28th
Bekledigimi bulamadim. Biraz bos geldi. Ama hakkini vermek lazim gorsel ve isitsel olarak cok basarili.
Rated 07 Jul 2013
hte624hte624
Rated 17 Oct 2016
65
31st
Well. It was really cool in how it was made, I loved the sound, the music and the style of the cinematography - excellent use of colour, and I utterly loved the use of light and shadow. The plot... Well, it kind of seems non-existent, and in the third act it's pretty plain it died right off.
Rated 17 Oct 2016
bunkenBunken
Rated 26 Mar 2013
70
71st
You'll never be able to eat watermelon with the same pleasure again!
Rated 26 Mar 2013
janusjanus
Rated 13 Apr 2013
75
64th
Moody fun. Given any kind of ending at all it could have been truly brilliant.
Rated 13 Apr 2013
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 09 Jul 2016
55
49th
Interesting.
Rated 09 Jul 2016
mandymandy
Rated 28 May 2013
6
44th
For me the appeal of this film was the revelation of how the sound track is laid down on horror films but there are lots of other things going on in this surreal psychological horror/drama/mystery - hard to define film.
Rated 28 May 2013
tipar822tipar822
Rated 24 Nov 2016
40
23rd
Boring. There is no horror in there.
Rated 24 Nov 2016
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 01 Jul 2013
70
76th
good movie
Rated 01 Jul 2013
telemecusTelemecus
Rated 09 Jan 2014
44
48th
A sort of torture-flick for vegetarians? Toby Jones is outstanding.
Rated 09 Jan 2014
transpalettranspalet
Rated 12 Sep 2012
73
29th
A bit too much art direction and a bit too less screenwriting.
Rated 12 Sep 2012
kodekode
Rated 12 Jun 2017
37
2nd
The anti-horror anti-film
Rated 12 Jun 2017
aceysaid10AceySaid10%
Rated 28 Nov 2013
82
64th
I liked it...but I didn't get it.
Rated 28 Nov 2013
untitleddcimUntitledDCIM
Rated 27 Oct 2022
65
12th
Appreciated the concept. Got bored/ lost the flow a few times.
Rated 27 Oct 2022
matthagenmatthagen
Rated 02 Oct 2021
48
38th
I was into it. I let the super slow build up wash over me, not knowing where the atmospheric isolation was going. And it turns out Strickland didn't know where it was going either. The ending goes ultra meta and whimpers out. A completely unsatisfying end to a unique, well made movie.
Rated 02 Oct 2021

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