Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, a drummer and recovering addict who backs up his girlfriend, Lou, played by Olivia Cooke, in their band. When Ruben abruptly loses his hearing, tour life comes to a fast halt, and he retreats to a sober deaf community to adjust to his new situation. Alternating between the brutality of Ruben’s music and the silence that suddenly takes over his world, the film strikes a sensitive, affecting balance that portrays life without hearing. Ahmed’s performance is a breathtaking career highlight, an expertly layered portrait of a musician with an authentic DGAF punk attitude striving to control his circumstances and environment. To prepare for the role, Ahmed spent seven months in New York, going to shows, learning to play the drums and learning American Sign Language. He also listened to a lot of punk music - see his top picks right here on Vero.