The Psychological Thriller Flop Defying Odds And Killing It On Netflix
Netflix's line-up of streaming films has seen an unlikely entry join the top rankings. Released on March 17, 2023, "Noise" tells the story of Matthias (Ward Kerremans), a new parent who moves him and his family to his childhood home. Things start to take a tense turn when Matthias begins to uncover a mystery surrounding an accident at a factory that reveals dark secrets about his family, leading him down a dark path.
Since its release, "Noise" hasn't received the most love critically. While there is no critic consensus on Rotten Tomatoes as of yet, the audience score is a dismal 13% while its IMDb rating is a similarly low 3.7 out of 10. Many complaints regarding the film come from many fans who found its story ripe with potential, but ultimately feel that the disjointed narrative and handful of cliches ultimately weigh down the experience.
Yet, this has seemingly done little to halt the Belgian thriller's overall popularity on the streamer. As of now, the film is the fifth most viewed film in the U.S. on Netflix, beating out such films as "Kick-Ass 2" and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." So is there more than meets the eye to the film ... or is its current place on Netflix just a bunch of noise?
Noise has some notable merit
Netflix's "Noise" may not be a perfect film in the eyes of many moviegoers, but there are certainly aspects from the psychological thriller that are worthy of praise. The performances all across the board are pretty solid. Ward Kerremans' turn as Matthias sees the actor slowly descend into madness as the combined heft of the mystery, his family drama and the pressures of being a parent weigh in on him. Similarly, Sallie Harmsen's performance as Matthias' wife Liv, and Johan Leysen as his father Pol enhance the film, with their organic and troubled relationship with Matthias adding a grounded element to the proceedings.
While the film plays with and teases some supernatural elements, what it ultimately has to say is something far more relatable and hard-hitting. It is discovered that much of Matthias' mental state stems from his own upbringing, where his father was a hard-to-please individual and his mother died while he was very young. When seen through this lens, especially with the anxiety Matthias' develops from his own newborn child, "Noise" becomes a story about how unchecked generational trauma can affect the mindset of someone trying to raise a family of their own.
"Noise" may not be a genre-defying groundbreaker, but its ambition and unique ideas deserve a chance regardless.