Is it actually a horror movie?

Sort of. It's a psychological thriller about a horror movie. You won't see ghosts or killers, but the atmosphere is just as scary as a traditional horror film.

Is there any actual gore?

Visually, no. You see a lot of smashed fruit and vegetables. However, the sound of those vegetables being smashed is meant to represent gore, and it is very convincing.

Will my kid be bored?

Most likely, yes, unless they are specifically into film history or audio production. It's a very quiet, deliberate movie with a lot of 'dead air' used for effect.

What is 'Giallo' and do I need to know about it?

Giallo is a genre of Italian thriller/horror known for being very stylish and violent. You don't need to be an expert, but knowing that the movie is a tribute/critique of that specific 70s style helps it make more sense.

Berberian Sound Studio – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Berberian Sound Studio

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2012

72%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A psychological descent into the weird, wet world of 1970s Italian horror sound effects.

85%

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Berberian Sound Studio

movie

14A, 2012

72%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A psychological descent into the weird, wet world of 1970s Italian horror sound effects.

85%

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85%

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Screenwise Verdict

Berberian Sound Studio is a movie about the labor of horror. It doesn't show you the monsters; it shows you the guy in the cardigan trying to make the monster's scream sound more 'authentic.' It's a brilliant piece of filmmaking that is admittedly an acquired taste.

For most kids, this will be a snoozefest. But for the kid who spends their weekends editing videos or obsessing over how games are made, it's a revelation. It treats sound as the primary storyteller, which is a lesson most modern media ignores.

Age Fit

Best for 14+ and specifically for those with an interest in film production. It's a 'clean' movie in terms of visuals, but the psychological weight and the specialized subject matter make it a tough sell for younger or more casual viewers.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The film centers on the production of a 'nasty' horror movie and the psychological deterioration of the protagonist. It's not aiming for kindness or emotional health; it's aiming for dread.

Imaginative

An incredibly original look at the mechanics of cinema. It turns the mundane act of smashing vegetables into a terrifying auditory experience, forcing the audience to build the horror in their own minds.

Safe

While almost no violence is shown on screen, the entire movie is an auditory assault of screams and wet, visceral sound effects. It's psychologically taxing and deals with the exploitation inherent in the horror genre.

Enriching

It's a masterclass in foley and sound design. For a teenager interested in filmmaking or audio engineering, this is essential viewing to understand how sound shapes emotion.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Foley masterclass that shows exactly how everyday objects (mostly produce) create the sounds of cinematic gore.
Atmospheric tension that builds through what you hear rather than what you see, making it a unique 'horror' experience.
Toby Jones gives a brilliant, twitchy performance as a man completely out of his element.
Visual style that captures the claustrophobic, analog feel of a 1970s recording studio.

⚠

What to Watch For

The auditory gore is intense; even though you're looking at a cabbage being hacked, your brain hears a human head.
The film is a slow burn art-house piece; kids used to jump-scares and fast editing will likely find it boring or confusing.
There are themes of misogyny and the mistreatment of voice actresses within the 1970s film industry that the movie critiques but still portrays.

Conversation Starters

"How did the sounds you heard change how you felt about the images of the vegetables being smashed?"
"Why do you think Gilderoy started to lose his grip on reality the longer he stayed in the studio?"
"If you had to make the sound of a monster using only things in our kitchen, what would you use?"

Deep Dive

The Horror You Hear

Most horror movies are a race to see the monster. Berberian Sound Studio is the opposite. It’s set in the 1970s, the golden age of Italian 'Giallo' films—those stylish, hyper-violent slashers. But we never see the movie being made. We only see Gilderoy, a mild-mannered British sound engineer, as he tries to sync up screams and stabbings in a dark, oppressive studio in Italy.

This is a movie for the process-oriented kid. It deconstructs the magic of cinema by showing you that a brutal murder on screen is actually just a man in a booth stabbing a watermelon with a screwdriver. It’s fascinating, but it’s also deeply unsettling. As Gilderoy gets deeper into the work, the lines between the film he's scoring and his own reality start to blur.

It’s a great pick if you want to discuss media literacy and how we are manipulated by what we hear. The film doesn't rely on jump scares; it relies on a growing sense of wrongness. If your teen is a fan of A24-style psychological horror, they’ll find a lot to like here. If they want Scream, they should look elsewhere.

What Parents Ask

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