From whispers of lost civilizations to haunting conspiracy theories, ourworld’s greatest mysterieshave often teased the limits of human understanding. As these puzzles challenge our perceptions to stir our deepest fears, they also invite us into a dark abyss of more questions than answers. Unraveling that puzzle through nuanced storytelling isThe Listeners, a provocative series that centers around a woman who begins to hear low-humming sounds that no one else can. The four-part series, set to air on the BBC this fall starringRebecca Hallis based on the bestselling and award-winning novel of the same name byJordan Tannahill. Following its highly anticipatedToronto International Film Festival premiere this week, the show will no doubt go on to become one ofthe year’s most thought-provoking and unsettling series yet.
As an atmospheric exploration of human connection and isolation,The Listenersembraces the ethereal tension ofThe Leftoversand the psychological depth ofSharp Objectsto examine the human experience through silence. With the book set up as a memoir and inspired by thestrange, low-frequency reverberations in Windsor, Ontario, the BBC-produced series finds a refreshing nuance in its television adaptation. Produced by Element Pictures, the studio behindNormal PeopleandPoor Things,and directed byJanicza Bravo(Poker FaceandZola), the series manages a sharp, important commentary on how loneliness compels us to seek meaning in the unknown — or in this case, the inexplicable. Through its main character Claire, played arrestingly by Hall,The Listenersoffers a strong tableau of isolationand how the search for connection can distort even the simplest of perceptions.
What Is ‘The Listeners’ About?
The Listenersstars Hall as Claire, an English teacher who is the only person hearing a low-humming sound. Much like theshow’s pace, which aligns with aslow-burn drama, the sound she hears starts gradually. It’s present, but it’s not exactly taking up too much space in Claire’s life. However, things take an abrupt turn and the seemingly innocuous noise begins to upset the balance she has created for herself and her family. Claire, who is also a doting mother to Ashley (Mia Tharia) and a loving wife to Paul (Prasanna Puwanarajah), begins to find the noise ruining a lot of her daily rhythms. At times, she feels she might have imagined it. But the noise and its high frequency begin to manifest in the form of nose bleeds, leaving Claire with a lot more questions. As she investigates with doctors and conducts tests, they suggest she might have tinnitus or a hypersensitivity to white noise — an issue seen in patients with anxiety and stress.
Here, the mystery begins, unraveling Claire’s layers to offer more about her through a naturally quiet disposition and interaction with others. With her frustrations starting to show, no one can help — that is until one of her students, a 17-year-old boy named Kyle (Ollie West) reveals he can too hear the sound. Taking solace in their shared isolation,the two strike up an unlikely (and dangerous) friendshipand investigate the sound together. With the noise becoming more apparent, the two become increasingly separated from their family, friends, and colleagues and join a group of neighbors who also allegedly hear the sound led by Jo (Gayle Rankin) and Omar (Amr Waked), a couple thatdelivers strong cult vibes. The pair believes it’s important to lean into “The Hum” and treat it like a gift. Naturally, as Claire and Kyle’s friendship grows, so does doubt from the outside, causing perception to become reality.
Rebecca Hall Is at the Top of Her Game in ‘The Listeners’
The Listenersisn’t just a slow-burn drama with a quiet, eerie temperament. As Tannahill is at the forefront of the adaptation’s layered screenplay, theseries captures Claire’s growing obsession with the sound in a dynamic, captivating style. With a psychological toll woven delicately into every scene and interaction, it’s a testament to Hall’s natural magnetism as a performer that draws you into every moment. Whatever Claire is feeling or thinking in those lonely scenes alongside the hum, we are right there with her. Able to convey a deep, conflicted demeanor and apprehension, Hall shows us what it feels like through her eyes, the furrow of her brow, or even a slight frown that speaks deeply to her modest, quiet desperation for answers.
Hall is masterful and profoundly focusedon a performance that adds to the story’s haunting tale of isolation, longing, and faith. As an actress known for moving seamlessly between roles that demand intensity and vulnerability, likeThe PrestigeorThe Night House, Hall is at the top of her game inThe Listeners. With an emotional profundity unseen in previous performances, she immerses herself into a world that deftly manages the complexities of loneliness and confusion with masterful fortitude. In those moments when it’s just her versus the hum,how she commands the scene to rely on subtlety speaks to the strength of her craft. When Claire sees doctors with her husband Paul, the tattered sophistication of her anxieties bubble to the surface to create inner tension between the couple, and bring out another side of the performer. While only two episodes were made available to the press, Hall’s undeniable screen presence through Claire’s quiet intensity lingers with you long after.
‘The Listeners’ Leans Into Obsessions Through Sharp Subtlety
As the novel and its adaptation capture so much of Claire’s growing obsessions with sounds that ultimately isolate her,the series leans into such compulsion through quiet subtleties. It’s this kind of implicitness that is not only central to the story but itsunderstanding of loneliness through Claire. Through the gnawing mania that afflicts her, we can recognize how these hauntings are a bit of a gateway for her, especially in how she spends time with Kyle. Sure, she’s driving away the people who love her the most and making some bad choices about it, but she’s also opening her eyes to new challenges that speak to a reshaping of her identity.
Thisobsession with the faintest of noises sends the loudest message about Claire’s state of mind, hinting at something deeper that haunts her and distorts her current role. She loves her family, her friends, and her job, but her obsession with “the hum” implies a deeper, more destructive gap in her connection to herself that highlights her emotional and mental welfare. In many ways, Claire’s actions are intentional, andher fixation speaks to a deeper need for building meaningful relationships and connections. It’s easy to empathize with her because she is relatable, but her increasing paranoia detaches her from reality, leading to intense interactions and often destructive behavior that unveils some deeper truths.
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Bravo, who is known for boundary-pushing work inZolaandPokerFace, levels up her signature style of alienation inThe Listeners. Challenging conventional storytelling throughgritty realism and vibrant visualsthat align with an art-house sensibility, the director’s work here exemplifies her unique voice. Like her earlier work in Lemon, Bravo infuses her characters with a lush theatrical sense that also highlights strong, gripping emotional complexities. It’s this kind of intimacy and character-driven core thatfeeds so much of Hall’s performance.
Emerging as a masterful exploration of isolation and obsessions,The Listenerscreates a rich tapestry of existential tension through Hall’s knack for embodying a strong, emotional spirit. Thanks to the familiar writing of Tannahill’s novel with sharp nuance, the BBC production captures the subtleties of human connection and detachment that distort our understanding of reality. Accompanied by a spirited, supporting cast, Hall delivers an exceptional performance — a career-best among a plethora. With the series intertwining the psychological depths of loneliness with the eerie presence of the inexplicable “hum,” the four-part series works to provoke strong reflections on shades of isolation, perception, and the fragility of our connections. It’s illuminating and interesting in the best ways, and with more to unravel as Claire discovers the origins of the hum,The Listenerssolidifies its place asone of the year’s most thought-provoking dramas.
The Listeners
With Janicza Bravo’s nuanced direction and Rebecca Hall’s standout performance, The Listeners is a compelling and haunting watch of isolation and obsession.
The Listeners (2024)
A popular English teacher begins hearing a strange, low hum that no one else around her can detect. As the sound disrupts her family life, she finds solace in a student who also hears it. Together, they join a mysterious group that believes the noise is meant for a select few, exploring themes of conspiracy, transcendence, and belonging.
