Claire (Rebecca Hall, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, TIFF ’17) is perfectly contented, if sometimes slightly underwhelmed, by the tranquil life she leads. As an English teacher with a loving husband (Prasanna Puwanarajah, The Crown, Patrick Melrose) and daughter, Claire’s life holds few surprises. When she suddenly begins hearing a low, persistent humming sound — which, it appears, no one else around her can hear or account for — Claire begins to withdraw into herself, suddenly knocked off-balance by the bizarre shift in her life.
In her search for answers, Claire comes to learn that her student Kyle (Ollie West, The Sparrow) can also hear the sound. They embark on a tentative, faltering journey together, leading them towards a neighbourhood support group led by a mysterious but compelling couple, and away from their own respective families. As Claire and Kyle each navigate their own experiences of the sound, and its impact on their lives, they begin to unravel its meaning — is it a hoax? A curse? A gift?
Director Janicza Bravo (Zola, Poker Face, Mrs. America) deftly manages the complexities and doubts that come with Claire and Kyle’s explorations. Canadian author and playwright Jordan Tannahill adapts his own bestselling novel, and brings to vivid life this haunting story of isolation, faith, mysticism, and longing. The effects of this heady mixture stay with you long after the screen has gone dark — like a persistent, low hum that you can’t quite get out of your head.
GEOFF MACNAUGHTON
Janicza Bravo is a writer and director based in Los Angeles. Her film ZOLA led the 2022 Independent Spirit Awards with 7 nominations after premiering at Sundance and being released by A24 and SONY International. Her debut feature LEMON also premiered at Sundance, and was distributed by Magnolia Pictures in 2017. She has directed extensively in television, and is currently finishing her first limited series, THE LISTENERS, for BBC. Janicza received her training in theatre at NYU and has mounted plays both in the US and abroad.