10 Horror Movies That Wage War On Your Senses

A film about the making of films, Berberian Sound Studio is an absolute masterclass in audio design.

The film tells the story of timid British sound engineer Gilderoy, who is invited to work on an Italian Giallo film. Being something of a sensitive type, Gilderoy soon finds that working on such a depraved film has unintended consequences.

We never actually see the film that he is working on, we merely hear the descriptions of its graphic violence coupled with the stomach-churning sounds that accompany it. In the hands of a lesser director, this could fall flat on its face, but the always-brilliant Peter Strickland proves himself to be a master of his craft by making it work in a bold and original way.

Ultimately, it's a rumination on the powerful role that sound plays in a film, and Strickland displays complete mastery of how to marry audio and visuals in a way that can make the viewer's hair stand on end. The film relies heavily on the power of suggestion to forcefully plant nauseating images in your head, as opposed to outright showing you.

General audiences may struggle to engage with it, but if watched under the right conditions, it's a singularly unnerving experience.