Amazon has released a new trailer for Sound of Metal. While this year is, to say the very least of it, not a typical one, this is one of the movies that feels like it could find itself in the awards season conversation. Not only has the feature directorial debut of Darius Marder garnered a great deal of praise following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, but this trailer makes it look like we're in for a powerhouse performance from Riz Ahmed (Nightcralwer, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

The trailer kicks off with a band out on the road, playing shows and grinding it out. We soon discover that the drummer, Ruben, is suffering from rapid hearing loss, which sends him down an emotional pitfall. He ultimately finds himself at a care facility that aims to help him cope with the hearing loss which, as a musician, is especially tough for him to handle. This trailer includes captions, as does the movie itself, so that hearing and non-hearing audiences can experience Ruben's journey. The movie is also said to use "startling, innovative sound design techniques" that will take audiences inside the experience and "vividly recreate his journey into a rarely examined world."

The cast also includes Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One), Paul Raci (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) and Lauren Ridloff (The Walking Dead). Shaheem Sanchez, Chelsea Lee, Jeremy Stone and Mathieu Amalric round out the ensemble. Darius Marder co-wrote the screenplay alongside Abraham Marder. Though Marder doesn't have any previous narrative feature directing credits, he did co-wrote 2012's critically-acclaimed The Place Beyond the Pines. Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Kathy Benz and Bill Benz serve as producers.

In Sound of Metal, during a series of intense one-night shows, a punk/metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. He is told by a specialist that his condition will worsen quickly, leading Ruben to believe that his music career and life as he knows it is over. His bandmate and girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) checks the recovering heroin addict into a secluded sober house for the deaf. The hope is that it will prevent him from relapsing and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. However, after being welcomed into the accepting community, Ruben has a difficult choice to make between his equilibrium and the drive to return to the life he once knew.

Following the movie's premiere at TIFF, Amazon Prime scooped up the rights in what was said to be a contested situation, with Neon also said to be in the mix. Ultimately, it will find its way to Prime Video after getting a theatrical release in November. The release timing suggests that the company feels they may have an Oscar contender on their hands. Sound of Metal hits theaters on November 20. It will then hit Prime Video a couple of weeks later on December 4. Be sure to check out the trailer for yourself from the Amazon Prime Video YouTube channel.

Sound of Metal