Film is undoubtedly a visual medium. Having things in motion to look at while experiencing a story is the big thing that sets it apart from older artistic mediums, like novels, paintings, and music. There is a great deal of information that filmmakers can convey without dialogue or other sounds, which is evident by the fact that silent movies were popular for a good few decades before dialogue started making its way into film in 1927 onwards.
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But while it’s well and good to show more than tell and all that, the fact remains that sound is still an essential part of filmmaking. The following 10 movies all demonstrate this perfectly, and can be followed by sound alone. That’s not to say you’ll get everything from all of these if your eyes are averted, but thanks to their reliance on dialogue and sound to tell stories, the visuals aren’t required to get the basics of what’s happening. For anyone who wants to watch a movie without actuallywatchinga movie, all the following could work.
‘My Dinner With Andre’ (1981)
WhileMy Dinner With Andreisn’t a documentary, it does feature two actors -Wallace ShawnandAndre Gregory- playing versions of themselves, with both writing the film’s screenplay, too. It’s a very simple movie: two friends sit for dinner, talk about their lives, and get into passionate discussions over all sorts of topics throughout a single night.
Because it all takes place inside one restaurant and only features two characters (besides a waiter and bartender), it’s easy to follow, given the movie is basically one long conversation. There’s also little chance of getting the two characters' voices mixed up, given how distinctive Shawn’s is.
‘Before Sunset’ (2004)
All three movies inThe Before Trilogyare dialogue-driven, and mostly made up of conversations between Celine and Jesse. The two fall in love inBefore Sunrisebefore parting ways, meet again nine years later inBefore Sunset, and then are seen to have settled down with each other inBefore Midnight, which takes place a further nine years on fromSunset.
Before Sunrisehas a few quiet moments that you need visuals to understand, whileBefore Midnightwould be a difficult blind watch, given there are a few more characters in that one. ButBefore Sunsetis really just the two of them having a single conversation thatplays out in real-time for the whole movie. You’ll miss some lovely scenery by not watching the screen, but you only need sound to catch up on the lives of the two, which they essentially spend the film discussing.
‘Swimming to Cambodia’ (1987)
A funny, eye-opening, and uniquely presented documentary of sorts,Swimming to Cambodiafeels like it blurs the line between stand-up comedy and performance art. It’s a one-man show, written and performed by actor/writerSpalding Gray, who recounts his time spent as an actor in the 1984 filmThe Killing Fields, whilst also discussing Cambodia, politics, and global conflict more generally.
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He’s a very engaging speaker, and even while darting between various subjects, the extended monologue as a whole still feels consistent and continually entertaining. DirectorJonathan Demmefilms the monologue in an interesting, unobtrusive way, though those visuals aren’t needed to follow Gray’s storytelling.
‘Springsteen On Broadway’ (2018)
Technically, just about every concert film can be followed without visuals. After all, the main appeal is getting to hear music being played live, with fancy stage theatrics and sweeping camera movements being the icing on the cake, though not always essential.
Most concert films don’t really tell “stories,” though, but there are exceptions, like 2018’sSpringsteen On Broadway. Part concert film, part condensed autobiography,Bruce Springsteentakes to the stage alone (for most of the runtime anyway), discussing key moments of his life while playing stripped down, acoustic versions of some of his best songs. It’s a must-watch (or must-listen) for fans of Springsteen, and even non-fans may get something out of his compelling stories.
‘Locke’ (2013)
Lockeis one of thebest movies currently on HBO Max, and also features one ofTom Hardy’svery best performances. It’s essentially a movie about his character driving a car whilst receiving and making numerous phone calls, all of which reveal a great deal about his work, family, and high-stress life in general.
Having a movie be nothing but phone conversations with only one actor on-screen who never leaves their vehicle sounds like it could be boring, butLocke’sexecution makes it work. Once you get used to which voice belongs to whom, it’s possible to follow the story without visuals, even though it would mean missing out on the nuances of Hardy’s great performance.
‘12 Angry Men’ (1957)
In the opening scene of12 Angry Men, we hear a judge summarize a murder trial before dismissing the jury, who retire to the jury room to consider their verdict. Given it’sset back when only men could be jurorsand concerns a case where the death penalty is possible after a guilty verdict, there’s a great deal at stake, and a good amount of anger and tension inside the jury room.
The story is completely driven by dialogue, whether it’s someone explaining their point of view, or two or more people clashing over a differing stance on one of the issues at hand. Besides the opening and closing scenes, it’s all confined to the jury room, too, meaning this is one law-related drama where visuals take a backseat to dialogue.
‘Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel’ (2022)
Similar to concert films, there are a good deal of stand-up specials that can be listened to without visuals, and most - if not all - of the jokes can be understood. However, few stand-up specials approach the level of storytelling found in feature filmmaking, and the more cinematic ones out there (something likeBo Burnham’sInside) often require visuals to understand.
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Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel(coincidentally also directed by Burnham) stands out, though. It’s a deeply personal and very moving stand-up special. There are comedic parts, but much of the hour ends up being about Carmichael telling the audience about his life, and making certain information public for the first time in his life. It transcends normal stand-up comedy, as a result, and tells a great autobiographical narrative, owing to Carmichael’s skills as a storyteller.
‘Blue’ (1993)
Derek Jarmanwas a director who holds the distinction of directingSean Bean’sfirst (of many) death scenes. His boldest and best-known film, though, is 1993’sBlue, which doesn’t feature any on-screen actors, and also doesn’t have much by way of traditional dialogue or a distinct narrative.
For its entire 79-minute runtime,Blueshows nothing but an unchanging blue screen. The film’s premise is explored through a lack of vision and a detailed, overwhelming collage of sound, all meant to reflect Jarman’s experience of living with AIDS. Knowing the backstory behind the film makes it a heartbreaking and haunting one, but it truly is one of the most engaging experimental films of all time, and a clear example of a film that does everything with sound.
‘Carnage’ (2011)
Carnagehas a limited cast (just four main characters) and a relatively simple premise. Two 11-year-old boys are said to have gotten in a fairly serious fight at school, and so the four parents of both get together in one pair’s apartment, and aim to talk over the situation and what to do going forward.
It has the feeling of a stageplay, and like other films that can be followed without visuals, benefits from having a limited setting and only a few important characters. The dialogue is well-written, and the talented cast (Jodie Foster,Kate Winslet,Christoph Waltz, andJohn C. Reilly) truly make the most of it.
‘The Trip’ (2010)
Sitting through one of the movies in theThe Tripseries sort of feels like eavesdropping on two particularly funny people as they enthusiastically and humorously discuss life and pop culture. LikeMy Dinner With Andre, it features two actors -Steve CooganandRob Brydon- playing themselves, and spending a good deal of time conversing over meals… though here, it’s not just one dinner, and they’re traveling around the UK at the same time.
Plenty of nice scenery will be missed if visuals are ignored, but ultimately, the main appeal ofThe Trip(and its sequels) is hearing Coogan and Brydon impersonate famous people and crack jokes about various things. They’re very funny, and the movies are breezy and entertaining, largely thanks to the constant conversations.
