'Noise' Review: Netflix psychological thriller destroys promising premise with anticlimactic end
Spoilers for 'Noise'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Netflix is finally out with its next original production and this time it's the psychological thriller, 'Noise'. It is a Belgian movie that revolves around the lives of new parents, Matt and Liv, who move into the former's childhood home, only to find out dark secrets that pave way for some unresolved issues.
Written by Steffen Geypens, Robin Kerremans and Hasse Steenssens and directed by Steffen Geypens, 'Noise' premiered on Friday, March 17. This Netflix original is produced by Caviar in collaboration with Lompvis, with the support of Screen Flanders and Caviar Film Financing. The Netflix film stars Sallie Harmsen as Liv and Ward Kerremans as Matt. The movie also features Johan Leysen as Pol, Jesse Mensah as Timme and Lize Feryn as Michelle. With a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes, 'Noise' somewhat failed at harnessing the several opportunities that would have it made a perfect psychological thriller.
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Matt's uncanny behavior
The movie follows Matthias/Matt, as he moves back into his childhood home with his wife, Liv, and their newborn son, Julius, into a relatively remote area with a pond. Matt lost his mother when he was a baby and he often suffers from anxiety and even a small sound rattles him. However, he doesn't shy away from connecting with the world as he is a social media influencer with about 196,000 followers. He even proudly says that the entire baby room is sponsored by his work.
Matt is often immersed in his work and the plot gets intriguing as he shows his different personalities when he is off-camera. For instance, he puts the baby monitor into the drawer in frustration when he was doing a product placement video on baby formula and neglects his son, who had been crying for a while. On the other hand, his wife, Liv, runs a catering business and would do anything for Matt, however, her patience is more than often tested by Matt.
Age of obsession
Matt has somewhat of a strained relationship with his father, Pol, who has dementia and is admitted to a retirement home. However, when his father points out his old chemical factory, that has faced a terrible accident years ago resulting in the deaths of several people and the wastewater from the factory being polluted and flooded to the extent of the nearby villages, Matt becomes curious and takes it as a next project. And the mystery of the project starts to consume him so much that he starts getting several outbursts, hallucinating and ignoring his family. This leads Liv to find the truth behind his behavior, which gives her shocking results.
The missed chance
'Noise' had everything that would make up for a perfect psychological thriller. The impeccable blend of a protagonist in an abandoned factory in a remote village and introduction of limited characters to build up the tension and to stay focused on the main storyline is what made it stand out. Further, the protagonist's undealt issues that led to unprecedented twists just adds to the overall plot as it leaves viewers intrigued as they search for answers while the story keeps unraveling deep mysteries. However, the movie overtly misses to tap into these story points and settles for a slow-burn thriller. With this treatment, it is harder for one to connect and even root for one of the characters in the movie. The backstory should have been imprinted strongly for an impactful climax but that wasn't the case.
On the other hand, the performances of the characters, particularly that of Matt, are trying hard to convey the intention of the movie. Matt is a scarred person, whose mother drowned along with him when he was a baby although he was saved by his father. He is always reclusive and does not want to be helped by anyone though he himself knows well enough that he needs it. Moreover, his issues could've been carried out with more effect. What started off as a promising psychological mystery thriller falls flat at the end. And by the time the movie ends, it leaves little to no impression on it. However, If you are a fan of slow-paced movies with a few interesting elements, then give 'Noise' a try.
'Noise' is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.