Masters of Horror (TV Series) Sounds Like (2006) User Reviews

An interesting episode

[NunianVonFuch · 7/10 · 29 October 2006]

Sound. Thats the key subject of this episode. A lot of different sound techniques are used throughout to enhance and show the aural assault the protagonist is subjected to on a daily basis.

He has ultra-sensitive hearing with such little things like knitting or kids skipping enhanced to a deafening level. Something is eating away at him and much like in The Machinist it starts to effect his everyday life.

Thankfully Anderson does not ape his previous classic (too soon to call it a classic?) and the story wanders a different path. Wandering is the only fault with the episode though, spending too much time showing different sounds driving Chris Bauer's character mad rather than progressing the story. Still a similar dark atmosphere is created throughout and carries through to the last shot of the movie.

Worth watching.

In the Tradition of "Chocolate", Unconventional Horror

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 26 January 2007]

A man with unbelievably wonderful hearing (Chris Bauer, "8mm") begins to go nuts when he cannot cope with the death of his son Michael. His job, his marriage and his entire world begin to fall apart.

Executive producer Andrew Deane approached Brad Anderson, gave him various short stories to choose from, and this was the one picked out.

Like "Chocolate" in season one, those who want traditional horror are going to be disappointed. There is no maniac with an axe or ghosts or demons or aliens. Just a man with uncanny hearing who can no longer adjust to the world in which he lives. The story is actually very good if you enter it from the right frame of mind.

The episode comes from the relatively unknown director Brad Anderson, who made the infamous "Session 9" as well as one of the better movies I have seen, "The Machinist" (with Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh, two of Hollywood's best actors). If you have seen one or both of these, you know Anderson's specialty is presenting his audience with mental illness. "Sounds Like" is no exception to this trend.

Anderson notes in the commentary that most of his work, with the exception of "The Machinist", has some sort of therapist character, which is a bit unusual given that Anderson himself had never been to a therapist. What does this mean? Probably nothing, but all his films -- even "The Machinist" -- definitely rely on more of a psychological horror than outright violence.

The strength of this episode is that on many occasions, we are presented exactly what the main character can hear. And it is awful! Some of the most annoying noises you will ever hear, which is like some of the most gruesome images you will ever see... but different. (If you want images, we do have maggots and baby rats, so that might work for you.)

I enjoyed this film, although it seems to have very little replay value. With the low expectations I'm having with season two, this comes out as something enjoyable and I would recommend you give it a shot if you like Anderson's other work. While I would hardly consider "Machinist" or "Session 9" mainstream, his work is becoming known and it will not be much longer before they give him something huge...

30 Minutes Too Long ...

[Vic_max · 6/10 · 22 November 2006]

This 1 hour movie is more like a 30 minute Twilite Zone episode. That is, it has an interesting premise, but is 30 minutes too long.

The story revolves around an individual with an acute sense of hearing. He can hear all the sounds that normal people either filter out or can't hear - everything from drops of water to light bulbs and heartbeats. The story involves how this 'ability' becomes more and more a problem after the tragic loss of his son.

The story gives a cool glimpse into this special individual's world, but at the expense of story. It just goes on and on and the story doesn't progress very much. After about 30 minutes, 40 minutes, etc. you're still waiting for things to happen.

If you want a treat - watch the first 30 minutes, then come back for the last 5. If you're looking for a worthwhile 1 hour experience, skip this one.

Madness in Season 2

[Kevlar01 · 19 November 2006]

I'm starting to notice a little trend in season 2 so far and that is with the theme of madness and alienation. In "Damned Thing" we had the madness embodied in a vengeful spirit representing mankind's greed and corruption, this demon descends upon a town and drives it's residents into a murderous frenzy. In "Family" we had an alienated man who's clearly gone insane by finding his connection with people is best made by killing them and implementing them as skeletons into his home unit.

And now comes along "Sounds Like", another episode dealing with these two themes. The story follows a man who has lost all love and connection towards the world. He has grown distant from his wife, is awkward when talking to neighbors or co-workers, and spends most of his time in the garage where he blocks out all the sounds of the world with ear guards while doing odd jobs. What really makes this episode work so well is the truly horrific look of anguish on our protagonist's/antagonist's face every time he is bombarded by the noise around him.

From the deafening grinding metal on metal as his wife knits to the ominous beep of the fire detector's dying battery in his house, Brad Anderson has created a truly torturing world for his lead character to endure. In this world is actually a very interesting message as well. That sometimes the quiet, serene sides of nature and the silence which can be found in everyday life is much more valuable than one may think. In surrounding ourselves with the hectic city environment of cell phones, road construction, and office politics; its a wonder more people haven't completely lost it in their mundane day to day existence. Of course having extra sensitive hearing and loosing ones son doesn't help with this all either. But "Sounds Like", although a stellar horror film on its own, is also a strangely intriguing character/societal study.

As tensions build from the overwhelming noise and stress in this world, "Sounds Like" builds up to a disturbing and terrifying conclusion. Every single amplified sound effect is used extremely effectively to provide a more intimate approach for it's viewers. In watching "Sounds Like" its hard NOT to feel bad for the lead character in some ways. And its even harder not to feel like you're going a little mad from the noises in the film as well. They are overwhelming, annoying, unnerving, and intelligently used.

Overall, an excellent episode. Brad Anderson has crafted an, at times, brilliant tale with this one. If Season 2 of Masters Of Horror has been disappointing for you so far, this installment should reassure you that good things are still to come. I'd say this one deserves a respectable 8 out of 10, and that rating will likely increase after the subsequent re-viewings it deserves.

Good, tense episode

[timhayes-1 · 7/10 · 28 November 2006]

Brad Anderson has proved time and again with his previous chillers Session 9 and The Machinist that he is a new genre name to keep an eye on. Whereas most young directors are using shock, torture and gore to cover up their lack of voice, Anderson is going for broke with his quiet yet tense films. His episode of Masters Of Horror, Sounds Like, is yet another medal on his chest as this one is yet another winner. Anyone who is looking for an action packed gore filled episode better look elsewhere. Sounds Like has a slow build, but it is well worth the wait. While not a whole lot happens in the first 40 minutes of the episode, the tone of the proceedings and the plot help set the viewer up for the true horror that is to come. To put it quite frankly, Edgar Allan Poe would be very proud as this episode is a build full of atmosphere and tension to an ending that truly shocks. This is horror in its true form and with it Anderson earns his rank as a master of horror.

Fittingly unconventional offering from Anderson

[Jonny_Numb · 6/10 · 24 September 2007]

Brad Anderson is such an unconventional genre director that the categorization itself feels somewhat off (he started his career writing and directing romantic comedies, after all); that's not to say he hasn't brought a reputable eye to horror, with the mind-twisting "Machinist" and especially "Session 9" (one of the best horror sleepers of the past decade). Refreshingly (and somewhat predictably), Anderson uses the "Masters of Horror" format to tell a tale as intimately character-based as his previous works, while keeping the emphasis on a sense of unease as opposed to excessive gore. 'Sounds Like' is the story of Larry Pearce (Chris Bauer--"8MM"), a call monitor at a software company who develops super-sensitive hearing following the loss of his son; his wallow in grief is punctuated by an escalating madness that culminates in murder and, finally, silence. While the film is technically well done, with superb sound-effects editing (I particularly liked the small-arms fire of a sudden downpour against a windshield), I found myself intrigued yet detached from Larry and his predicament--aside from an early monologue and a few flashbacks, the characters aren't given enough background detail. Despite this, Anderson creates several great setpieces (including an ironic twist to Larry's refuge in a public library, and a scene where he bashes the ticking and buzzing appliances in his home with Nicholsonian grandeur), and certainly shows his knack for telling an offbeat tale. While 'Sounds Like' could have been better, it's still worth a look.

Pretty good

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 18 November 2006]

Larry (Chris Bauer) has a job where he monitors the calls from people on the phone trying to help others with their computers. He also had his only child die recently and feels alienated from his wife. Then he realizes his hearing become super-sensitive--he can hear things from far away and eventually he can hear peoples thoughts. But sounds are also magnified to a deafening level...and Larry begins to go mad.

Unsettling and a VERY unpleasant ending but this IS a horror film. The basic premise is not bad and you're never really quite sure if Larry is going mad or if his hearing has actually gotten better. It gets a little repetitious but good acting, directing and sound recording keep it going. Director Brad Anderson also dealt with reality and madness in his excellent movie "Session 8" a few years ago. A pretty good entry in the "Masters of Horror" series.

Painfully Sensitive Senses

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 3/10 · 28 February 2009]

Generally speaking, I am a great fan of the "Masters Of Horror" series, but I have to add that the episodes differ immensely in quality. The greatest episodes were contributed by Horror Masters Takashi Miike ("Imprint"), Dario Argento ("Jenifer", "Pelts"), John Carpenter ("Cigarette Burns") and Stuart Gordon ("The Black Cat") whereas others were mediocre, or, as "The V-Word" and "We All Scream For Ice Cream", plain bad. This episode "Sounds Like", which was delivered by Brad Anderson, director of "The Machinist", is not one of the greatest hours of MoH, but it is doubtlessly a more than decent episode. Chris Bauer plays Larry Pearce, a guy working in a call-center for computer problems, who was struck by fate with an extremely sensitive sense of hearing. The grief over the loss of his son has only increased his hearing, which makes him struggle with insanity... "Sounds Like" is original and innovative, but, as far as I am concerned, it just isn't terribly suspenseful. Bauer is an excellent actor, and ideal for superficially square characters with borderline personalities. It is doubtlessly Bauer's great performance which is the best aspect of the episode. Overall, "Sounds Like" is not really scary, but it is original and shouldn't be missed by "Masters of Horror" fans.

FINALLY! An Episode That Might Get Even Rod Serling's Approval...

[cchase · 9/10 · 22 November 2006]

Do you recall the classic Edgar Allan Poe story, "The Tell-Tale Heart?" That masterpiece of madness in which the murderer of an elderly man can swear he hears the beating of his victim's heart beneath the floorboards where he placed the dismembered corpse? The acute presence of that sound, as ominous and inescapable as his guilty conscience, is what set the tone for the whole story.

Now imagine, if you will, applying that level of intensity to every single sound that exists in your life. Lawnmowers that sound like a hundred Sherman tanks...the sound of someone chewing on a stalk of celery at a restaurant table twenty feet across the room, but it sounds like a blizzard of termites taking down Yellowstone National Park all at once.

This is the nightmarish world that Larry Pearce lives in. The supervisor of a customer service call center at a major computer vendor, the horror began for him following the tragic death of his only child. Suddenly, for a man who makes listening his livelihood, being deaf would actually be considered a godsend.

SOUNDS LIKE could arguably be the best episode that MOH has produced thus far; one of the best at a minimum. For too long, like so many other fans of the series, I've held out for an episode that can be smart, gory and terrifying all at once, and I believe this is finally it. In fact, there is relatively little gore (especially for an MOH episode) until the climax of what is a horrific, yet ultimately sad and tragic tale.

I've heard of the director, Brad Anderson, but I've never seen the two films he's best known for, THE MACHINIST or SESSION 9. Now after seeing this episode, I will definitely have to check out the rest of his work. With SOUNDS LIKE, he has produced a shockingly original piece of work that equals anything that the other MOH alums came up with when they were at their absolute peak.

I also can't say enough good things about Chris Bauer's performance as the tortured, doomed Larry. I had seen him briefly in a few scenes from the acclaimed cable series THE WIRE, but because I'm not a regular viewer of that show, I had no idea what Chris was capable of until now. He paints such a vivid portrait of a man on a downward spiral of madness and despair, you can't help but wonder where his inspiration comes from. Your heart goes out to the poor guy, even as your stomach churns at some of the horrific things his rapidly disintegrating mind makes him do. One of the best performances you will see on this show in Season Two, period.

And befitting the show's subject matter, sound design is key, and director Anderson and his creative team make the most of it. You might never think of 'listening' the same way again after this.

If I had to knit-pick at all, it's that it goes on a little long even at just under an hour. As a thirty-minute short, this would've been nothing less than sheer brilliance. But even at the hour length, I doubt there will be any more MOH episodes this well-done.

I look forward to seeing more new work coming from both Anderson and Bauer, and will not hesitate recommending to anyone curious about this series, that they watch SOUNDS LIKE first, before seeing any other MOH episode - and that includes anything in Season One.

I don't know what Rod Serling would think if he were still with us, but I would bet that he'd give this his seal of approval, cursing himself all the way for not coming up with this idea for THE TWILIGHT ZONE or NIGHT GALLERY.

Not the kind of horror we are used to, but horror whatsoever

[Bored_Dragon · 7/10 · 3 May 2018]

A man whose hearing, after losing his son, becomes so sensitive that he can hear absolutely everything. From day to day, the noise that surrounds him is becoming more and more intolerable, until eventually it drives him to a complete madness. There are no supernatural beings, explicit violence or gore in this film, but it's the critique of modern society packed in the individual drama, so real and horrible that this episode can rightly be classified into a horror genre.

7/10

More mediocrity

[dean2900 · 5/10 · 3 December 2006]

This has to be the longest 57 minutes ever. The story was right out of the Twilight Zone about a man who could here everything. He could hear the sounds that a fly made, the sounds of earthworms crawling underground, and these sounds slowly drive him to madness.

There is ZERO suspense in this episode and it really is a waste of time.

The surprise ending is dumb and a morality tale about grief and loss could have been more interesting in a thousand ways.

This has to rank as one of the bottom 2 episodes.

I have not given up on this series yet but I am afraid that the six episodes aired already this year might be enough to kill off any interest. Showtime would have been better of not airing this episode.

Well Done & Creepy

[altec91 · 10/10 · 11 January 2007]

Solid episode. Well directed and acted.

If you have worked in a corporate environment, especially in a customer service hell pit; you'll laugh at some of the familiar bean-counting and eavesdropping of employees practiced at the tech center where the main character works. Of course, these sort of operations are more likely now to be found in Bangalore or Delhi, India, but I digress.

A normal-seeming family man with very acute hearing manages a tech-support center well, but his special ability becomes more pronounced, and then becomes a curse that worsens as the episode progresses.

One can see the story was getting a bit thin in the 2nd half, but still this defect doesn't detract too much from what is otherwise one of the best episodes so far in the series.

That's the Sound of your Brain Cracking!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 9 January 2008]

With Brad Anderson in charge of direction, genre fans instantly know this is more likely to turn out a "Master of Tension" episode instead of a "Master of Horror" entry, and even more particularly, a masterly portrait of psychological deterioration. As his previous films "Session 9" and especially "The Machinist" already made clear, Anderson's area of expertise lies in the focusing on one protagonist and extendedly illustrating his/her descent into pure & agonizing madness. This type of storytelling obviously doesn't lend itself to an hour of explicit bloodshed or cheesy monster mayhem, but it's indescribably atmospheric and "Sounds Like" undeniably became one of season two's finest and most remarkable installments. The story revolves on the middle-aged Larry Pearce who works as the floor manager of an IT help desk call center. Because of his extraordinarily developed hearing, Larry used to be a genius in what he does. He could distinguish even the tiniest change in a voice's tone and therefore he was capable of cutting off phone conversations right before turning awry. Due to the recent and unprocessed death of his son, however, Larry is a total wreck and his gift of hearing is turning into a curse of agony. Neutral noises that regular people don't even pay any attention to, like the ticking of the clock or drops of water coming from the tab painfully penetrate his skull and gradually drive him to insanity. The subject matter is arguably too limited to fill up a full hour of running time, and "Sounds Like" would indeed have worked better as a 30 minutes episode, but the tension is consistent and professionally built up. The best sequences involve Larry, as well as the viewer, noticing an eerie, unidentifiable and increasingly boisterous sound. Yet when the camera fades out it simply appears to be an entirely insignificant thing and only Larry suffers from the stereo-effect. This exact same trick is repeated numerous times, but it's effective on every occasion. This episode also owes a lot its disturbing impact to Chris Bauer's impeccable performance. He succeeds in portraying Larry as an obviously tormented soul, with a dead stare in his eyes, and knows how to evoke sentiments of pity and compassion. "Sounds Like" won't really satisfy fans of blood and gore, but the last five minutes nevertheless contain a nasty surprise and an end shot that is almost hauntingly poetic.

This episode was incredibly boring!

[slackwoo-1 · 1/10 · 19 November 2006]

This episode was boring and was not even in the realm of horror, so far this season Masters of Horror has produced one really good episode...The Damned Thing...it is still early, I have faith that the episodes will get better. I admit that the vampire episode was okay but lacked a solid storyline. The episode about the couple catching the serial killer started out boring, but the last fifteen minutes was really good. Though, I am just plain out disappointed with the lack of originality and horror that the first season's episodes possessed. Please, save this season John Carpenter! I have faith that Pro-Life will redeem the entire lackluster season so far.

"You're an angry little elf!"

X-Ray Eyes Revisited

[rob-oneill2002 · 26 October 2011]

Really enjoyed this, but at the same time you have to feel for Larry and his intense suffering as his life spirals out of control and into destruction. It was a good spin on the senses running out of control and reminded me on the Man with the X-Ray eyes as the intensity of Larry's hearing increases, driving him insane. Similarly, he cuts of his ears, just as Ray Miland rips out his eyes. I also thought there were other allusions to classic horror movies with the close up shots of flies, evoking memories of the original fly "Help me, Help me." If you haven't seen those two films, I would thoroughly recommend them. Overall a worthy addition to the Master of Horror Series.

Modern Take on a Classic Tale

[ShadowsBeneathTheLight · 7/10 · 18 August 2022]

I can undertsand why many viewers are giving this a low score as the episode itself is not particularly scary. However it still a good episode with some disturbing moments. This is very much a tale of confronting grief, and how grief can destroy someone even when they actively try to reject or deny their grief and loss. What's more, the story later parallels Edgar Allen Poe's Tell-Tale Heart as we see our protagonist grow increasingly insane not just from his grief, but also from his crimes, manifested through his super hearing. The episode does a great job showing his super-hearing, be it by pinpointing the annoying endless dripping of a faucet, or having the MC get flooded with dozens of coversations at once when in the call center. Gradually his hearing gets more and more sensentive, driving him more and more mad.

But what works for me is that it all still seems oddly believable. I think the director/writers did a good job making his hearing get more sensitive while not increasing his range. By that I mean the MC's acute hearing grows more and more specific, hearing sounds that almost shouldn't exist, but allthewhile he still only hears things within 25 ft or so. They never try to make the reach that he's hearing something 100 ft away or miles away, but instead clearly keep his hearing localized to as far as his eyes can see. This IMO sells his insanity more, as it's easier to grasp his desire to remove all sounds in his house vs just being constantly overwhelmed with sounds he will never find because he is nowhere near them.

The acting is great all around, from the MC to the other call-center workers who are only on screen for a few minutes, and the scenes are shot well using practical effects. I honeslty found myself feeling bad for the MC because of how well he translated his attempts to block out his grief over his dead son. This episode does its best to feel very real, something a lot of shows and movies today lack. Overall I think this a great episode even if it is not particularly scary or gory.

not scary at all

[trashgang · 6/10 · 12 June 2013]

There's nothing scary on Sounds Like and that's really the problem with season two. There's only one shot that will be loved by the geeks but overall this is more about situations. But I must say that the performance of Chris Bauer as the office drone with hearing problems was excellent.

First he has very sensitive ears and notice every sound that could be noticed very hard and it annoys him. But not only that, his personal life is also one with problems having lost a child and his wife eager to get pregnant again. Slowly his sensitive ears lead him into madness and things go wrong towards the end.

It wasn't really my thing, I had no problem with Brad Anderson's , the director, flick The Machinist (2004) a bit in the same way as this story where a man slowly is going berserk but here it took a bit too long for a short before things go awry. Again, it should be okay for a full feature but for Masters Of Horrors it doesn't fit in comparing with season one that set the tone...

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

Kinda Silly...But Important

[redrobin62-321-207311 · 6/10 · 5 June 2021]

As someone who suffers from misophonia/hyperacusis, I can wholeheartedly relate to this film. No, "Sounds Like" isn't perfect or even close to that, but at least it exists, albeit in a cheesy fashion. The only full-length film I can think of where someone is driven to great lengths to eliminate aggravating sounds is Namdev Bhau: In Search of Silence. Unfortunately, as Namdev Bhau isn't available anywhere to buy or stream, it'll be a while before I see it. In the mean time, those of us looking for fiction movies like that would have to settle for the one and only "Sounds Like." This Masters of Horror outing isn't really that bad. Highly exaggerated? Certainly, but that's how Hollywood works. They make it so you can see someone's mental illness from half a mile away. No subtlety there. In any case, I hope they make more films about this annoying, aggravating, destructive, intolerable affliction and the great lengths people go through for silence.

Another disappointing Masters of Horror episode.

[poolandrews · 3/10 · 17 April 2007]

Masters Horror: Sounds Like is set in Seattle where Larry Pearce works as the manager of a computer software call center, having lost his 6 year old son Michael (Nicholas Elia) to a rare heart condition he finds that he has ultra sensitive hearing. Larry hears everything in ten fold, from people typing on computer keyboards, people whispering across the room, people tapping their foot on the floor, dripping taps & eventually even people breathing become unbearable for Larry as he is constantly bombarded with mind piercing noise. Eventually Larry decides he's had enough & if he can't stop the noises themselves then maybe he can stop himself hearing them with the help of a large meat clever...

This Canadian American co-production was episode 4 from season 2 of the generally hit-and-miss Masters of Horror TV series, written & directed by Brad Anderson I thought Sounds Like was a definite miss. The script was based on a short story by Mike O'Driscoll & I am genuinely surprised by the amount of very positive comments it has here on the IMDb at the present time, for a start I would be very hard pressed to even describe this as a horror film & it feels more like some bizarre sentimental drama until the last 5 minutes when Howard Berger, Gregory Nicotero & the boys at KNB effects actually get to do some work. Larry has this strange unexplained ability to amplify sound & noises from the start so this episode ends up like 55 minutes of exactly the same sort of repetitive build up which leads up to a gory ending although it comes to late to save the episode. This is pretty slow going & while it's well written isn't this meant to be horror themed & I'm slightly confused as to who this is meant to appeal to?

Director Anderson does OK but he just keeps repeating the same things over & over again, until the last 5 minutes there isn't a single drop of blood in the entire thing. There's no horror, there's no scares or tension & absolutely no atmosphere.

Technically this is very well made, has good production values & doesn't look like a cheap made-for-TV program. The acting is very good actually & it's shame the story is somewhat limited.

Sounds Like is one of the very worst Masters of Horror episodes, a lot of people seem to like it & that's fine but it's definitely not for me. Another Masters of Horror, another disappointment.

An amazingly horrific look at the terror of sound

[digitalshark · 10/10 · 9 February 2008]

I've long thought that there was a great horror film waiting to be made about the horror of everyday sounds, and "Sounds Like" is the closest thing I have seen to date that qualifies as that film. An unrelentingly bleak episode, it probably will not be enjoyed by some, but the skill in display here is undeniable. Featuring strong performances across the board, a very well written script that maintains it's tension and integrity throughout and excellent cinematography, Brad has delivered one of the best chapters in Master of Horror to date. Many episodes have good moments interspersed, or fall apart at the end, failing to find a way to tell a story within the hour that feels complete without feeling padded or compromised. "Sounds Like" is an exception. Once seen, this episode will stick with you for a while, especially the disturbing "sound" of decay. Don't miss it.

Oops, Anderson dídn't do it again.

[punishmentpark · 5/10 · 26 December 2013]

A man focuses on the audio of his surroundings, which is for him a way to deal with a (audio related) trauma, which inevitably must reveal itself to him. At some point he remembers what he had been trying to forget, the killer inside him breaks loose and he kills his wife. That's about all I could figure out about it.

Again (after 'The Machinist') Anderson deals with the human psyche and how it can fool itself and others up to a morbid point. There is a lot a psychological 'messing about', combined with classic thriller elements reminiscent of Hitchcock. The problem here is that it is somewhat overdone; at some point you get the gist of it and it is time to move along. At the same time the story isn't as gripping as the one in 'The Machinist' - even if the premise is just as, or even more loaded.

And then, Chris Bauer is no Christian Bale; even if he did play an excellent role in the more down to earth drama of 'The Wire' - a lead role is still a different thing. The TV-movie look and feel of it don't help either.

5 out of 10.

"sounds like" a decent episode

[wackassnucca · 10/10 · 20 November 2006]

I have faith in MOH again. At first i was a a little disappointed because i thought John Carpenter's Pro-Life was on this week, but i was pleasantly surprised by this gem of an episode. The concept of this episode doesn't really seem scary, but the remarkable use of music and sound effect really brings this episode to life. Also the feeling of hopelessness and despair sets up a a dark little world for protagonist Larry, who has developed and acute sense of hearing after the untimely death of his son. The amazing thing is that nothing happens for a good part of the episode, but the build up and tone used used makes up for it. The ending is pretty satisfying and this is a good episode that uses sound brilliantly. Very nice.

Not bad but not very good either

[ODDBear · 5/10 · 29 October 2008]

OK. This is very well done. Fantastic sound effects, a somewhat involving story and a very good central performance from Chris Bauer. Still, I didn't really get into "Sounds Like" despite it's many good qualities.

In the end this is a very predictable affair. The end conclusion can be spotted miles away and here it's just a question of waiting for something you know is gonna happen. There were no surprises thrown in and for that simple fact the film has to be deemed as long winded. It would probably have fit better in "Tales From The Crypt" than in "Masters of Horror". But I'd never say this is bad, it's just not that good either.

Lesser Entry

[Michael_Elliott · 7 March 2008]

Sounds Like (2006)

** (out of 4)

Brad Anderson's Masters of Horror entry about a man (Chris Bauer) grieving after the death of his son and noticing that he has an extraordinary ability to hear anything at a great volume. As time goes on this hearing grows even worse to the point of driving him to madness. The idea of a man going crazy due to hearing is an interesting story but sadly the film runs at least thirty minutes too long. This probably would have worked better as an episode of The Twilight Zone because we get the point within the first thirty minutes and the next thirty just become rather annoying. Bauer gives a good performance and the sound effects are among the greatest I've ever heard but in the end the film comes as another disappointment.

Sounds like SH!T!

[maniacalmacabre90 · 2/10 · 4 January 2012]

Ugh! I don't know WHAT the reviews below are talking about. I can sum up SOUNDS LIKE in two words. Dull and irritating. There are no likable characters at all minus one friendly homophobic coworker. The main character is a prick through out, his wife is even more irritating than the sounds and you have no sympathy for any given character. I wanted to bash my face on sharp spikes. That said the last two minuts or so almost make it watchable. in particular a scene where a decomposing body is discovered with maggots munching and sqirming on the eye balls of said corpse. I was hoping for a psychological creepshow that would get under my skin....and.... That it did.... But in the compleat wrong way!