Review of Sturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury

By Dave B.

Sturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury (Netflix) takes place in a world torn apart by incomprehensible wars. The 41-minute feature begins with a gorgeously animated, but brutal attack on a monastery. Years later, a Ronin seeks revenge on the perpetrators. Through various vignettes (most of which are fully animated) viewers experience the war from the perspective of various individuals (such as a skateboarding scavenger and a slave worker in a forced labor camp), while the Ronin story remains the movie’s central thread.

While watching Sound & Fury, I had nearly no idea what the point of it was, thematically. I like to think of myself as being able to comprehend themes, plots, and ideas fairly quickly, but with this one, I was completely lost for the entirety of the short film. It’s vignettes are interesting (with some surprising twists) and visually compelling.

But the film is a musical, completely lacking in dialogue. There’s no narrative or obvious theme tying the various stories within the film, together. Or so I thought. Anyone who takes the plunge and decides to give Sound & Fury a chance, DEFINITELY needs to watch the post-credit content. It turns out that the theme of the movie is so obvious, that I overlooked it.

After learning what Sound & Fury is about, I have a much higher opinion of it than I otherwise would have. Even if you find yourself immersed in confusion about what is happening onscreen, all of the content is creative, intense, original, and filled with passion. If you are a person who likes to watch movies that may take some time to mentally and emotionally absorb, then you should definitely give Sound & Fury a try. If you prefer your entertainment to be more straightforward or more traditionally produced, you may not appreciate the message (or delivery of the message) that Sound & Fury attempts to convey. Personally, I like it. Despite confusing the hell out of me, in retrospect, I truly respect both the film’s message and its execution.

Rating: 6.5/10