Sound design is a fundamental aspect of film-making that greatly enhances the viewing experience. It can elevate an action movie from good to great by adding tension, drama, or excitement to the on-screen action. From the roar of engines in car chase scenes, to the explosive sound effects of gunfire and explosions, the sound design in an action movie is what immerses the audience in the story and keeps them on the edges of their seats.
This article features some of the best examples of sound design in action movies, ranging from the sonic masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road to the powerful and resounding Dunkirk. In these pictures, sound design was used to create unforgettable moments on the big screen and to immortalize them in their potency.
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10 Black Hawk Down
Scott Free Productions
Black Hawk Down was directed by Ridley Scott, and it features an ensemble cast that includes Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Sam Shepard, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Jason Isaacs, and a debuting Tom Hardy. The movie focuses on the real-life event of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, in which the US military attempted to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Unfortunately, Black Hawk Down’s perfect directing and flawless cinematography cannot overcome its ridiculously patriotic and propagandistic tone.
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Black Hawk Down features an impressive sound design that makes you feel like you are in the middle of the battle. The mixing is dynamic and immersive, while the sapient use of low-frequencies load even more the level of tension. At the same time, the sound appears realistic and imposing enough to crawl under the skin of the audience and guide their emotions. Technically excellent.
9 District 9
QED International
Co-written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, District 9 features Sharlto Copley as the government agent Wikus van de Merwe, whose task is to relocate extraterrestrial refugees from a slum in Johannesburg. Mixing science fiction and action perfectly, this 2009 movie is characterized by the stellar performance of Copley, as well as impressive cinematography and flawless directing by the South African-Canadian filmmaker. Simultaneously, District 9 doesn’t forget the substance, and it can be seen as a thoughtful examination of apartheid and racism.
The sound design of Chris Burdon is an integral part of District 9 and serves the purpose of elevating the phenomenal screenplay and its characters. In fact, the sounds created for the extraterrestrial refugees were conducive to conveying a sense of otherness and further exploring the themes of the movie. At the same time, the sound perfectly emphasized the moments of action. An essential 2000s excellence.
8 Children of Men
Strike Entertainment
It’s 2027, and the world is headed to collapse due to infertility and wars. Co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Children of Men features a dystopian scenario in which we find Clive Owen portraying Theo, an ex-activist whose life was completely shattered when he lost his son during a flu pandemic. He will find himself entangled with a pregnant woman named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) and his estranged wife-turned-militant Julian (Julianne Moore).
Children of Men’s dystopian environment is rendered perfectly by the detailed and immersive sound design of Glenn Freemantle. The realistic and subtle background sounds are fundamental in conveying the catastrophic and oppressive atmosphere of the movie, while a potent and piercing mixing of sounds characterizes the action sequences. Unjustly, Children of Men was a box office bomb in 2006, but its effectiveness and beauty still shine to this day.
7 Deepwater Horizon
Summit Entertainment
Directed by Peter Berg, Deepwater Horizon is a disaster movie with action sensibilities that documents the real-life explosion of the offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon and its oil spillage in the Gulf of Mexico. It features Mark Wahlberg in the role of Chief Electronics Technician Mike Williams and Kurt Russell as Offshore Installation Manager James Harrell, nicknamed Mr. Jimmy. Deepwater Horizon is characterized by strong directing by Berg and epic disaster sequences.
Wylie Stateman’s potent sound design perfectly conveys the intense and dramatic events. The noises of the machinery employed on board the drilling unit and the chaotic explosions that follow are impressive and vigorous in their sound. At the same time, Deepwater Horizon features low-frequency sound elements that balance the potent explosions perfectly and help build up tension. A well-crafted action movie where sound is an effective main character.
6 Jurassic Park
Universal Pictures
Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the homonymous novel by Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park revolves around a wildlife park containing dinosaurs created by the wealthy Dr. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) with the help of genetic scientists. After an incident occurs in the park, located on a fictional island near Costa Rica, chaos theorist Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), and paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) are invited to test the safety of the park.
Jurassic Park is a quintessential monster movie, and the efforts made by sound designer Gary Rydstrom were essential in capturing the primordial fear that humans would have in front of living dinosaurs. The roaring and intense sounds that the prehistoric animals make were created through a mix of real-life animals and mechanical effects. Jurassic Park wouldn’t be the same without the scaring roars of its dinosaurs.
5 The Matrix
Warner Bros.
Written and directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix stars Keanu Reeves as Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer by day and hacker known by the nickname Neo by night. Thanks to Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), he will find out about the simulated reality he lives in and encounter others who are struggling to break the simulation. One of the most influential movies of the 1990s, The Matrix is a sci-fi action masterpiece.
In order to convey the futuristic and cyberpunk tone of the movie, sound designer Dane A. Davis opted for a mix of synthetic sound effects that perfectly capture the fake reality of the simulation. At the same time, the sound effects are explicitly manipulated and distorted in certain sequences to emphasize the relationship between reality and simulation even more. The Matrix attracts the spectators with its imagery and wraps them with its sound.
4 Tenet
Syncopy
Written, co-produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan, Tenet stars John David Washington as a CIA operative desperately running through manipulated time to prevent the outbreak of World War III. It features the trademark style that the English director has been known for: complex non-linear screenplay, robust and perfectionist directing, stunning cinematography, and a cathartic soundtrack. Tenet has received mixed opinions since its release, but it will surely be re-evaluated in the future and considered one of his bests.
It has to be said that Tenet’s sound design was partially criticized for the impossibility of clearly hearing certain dialogue lines throughout the movie. What might appear as an easily avoidable mistake is, in reality, an interesting and intentional authorial choice. Nolan and sound designer Richard King create an enveloping soundscape that conveys Tenet’s tension and emotional intensity, much more than a few lines missing. A future milestone.
3 Blade Runner 2049
Alcon Media Group
Blade Runner 2049 was directed by Denis Villeneuve and features Ryan Gosling as K, a Nexus-9 replicant working for the LAPD as a blade runner. After discovering a dangerous and possibly game-changing secret, he is tasked with covering up everything. In his investigation, he will meet former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). Blade Runner 2049 shines for the immense directing of the Canadian filmmaker and the gorgeous cinematography by Roger Deakins.
Sounds wise, Blade Runner 2049 is impressive in its capability of hypnotizing and immersing the audience in the futuristic urban landscape of Los Angeles. The sound textures employed are essential in conveying the ultra-technological environment in which the characters have to move, with great emphasis on the noises produced by the flying cars. Simultaneously, during the action sequences, the potency of the explosions is greatly felt. A worthy sequel.
2 Dunkirk
Warner Bros. Pictures
Written, co-produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk recounts the gigantic evacuation of Allied forces from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, during World War II. The movie features an ensemble cast in great shape, comprising Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, and Harry Styles in his acting debut. Dunkirk is one of the best Christopher Nolan movies and an impressive achievement when it comes to cinematography, camera work, and action filmmaking.
The essential ingredient for effective and heart-pumping war movies is strong action sequences and, most importantly, an immersive sound that catapults you in the midst of the conflict. Dunkirk is flawless in his immersive power, and its sound is characterized by potent engine roars and spine-chilling bomb whistles that become more and more predominant as the bombs descend the sky. A brilliant sound design showcase.
1 Mad Max: Fury Road
Village Roadshow Pictures
Co-written, co-produced, and directed by George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road is a high-octane action film featuring a post-apocalyptic scenario, stunning visuals, and long breathtaking car chase sequences. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) flees from the Citadel, a desert city ruled by the iron fist of the warlord Immortal Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Furiosa brings with her Immortal Joe’s five wives, unleashing his rage. On the way to freedom, the group will be helped by Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy).
Mad Max: Fury Road sound is unforgettable and fundamental in immersing the viewers in its post-apocalyptic world and keeping them glued to their seats. Since the Mad Max universe is dominated by engines, trucks, and modified vehicles, the sound design features an industrial tone that emphasizes the loud bursts and roars of the cars and their tires. Mad Max: Fury Road wouldn’t be the same without its thundering sound.
