The Listeners is freaky, brilliant TV
Sometimes, I find myself pondering what could potentially lead to my life unraveling, and a persistent, low sound doesn’t typically come to mind. However, after viewing BBC One’s unsettling drama The Listeners, I’m starting to reconsider that.
“Do you hear that?” Claire asks at the start of the series. The teacher, portrayed by Rebecca Hall and in her forties, is talking about a noise that soon gets called “the hum.” This sound causes her physical suffering, creates a rift between her and her loved ones, disrupts her sleep, and even leads to nosebleeds.
Claire's husband Paul (Prasanna Puwanarajah) and their daughter are unable to hear the buzzing sound. However, her student Kyle (played by the introspective Ollie West) can hear it; it's the reason he's been sporting headphones during all her classes as he navigates the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Claire is a practical individual; she realizes how unwise it would be to accompany Kyle on his journey to uncover the reasons behind their common struggle. However, her desperation compels her to take a secret car trip with her student, as the intensity of their mutual experience is too overwhelming to resist.
Author Jordan Tannahill has taken his 2021 book of the same name and transformed it into a series, shifting the setting from the United States to northwest England. Claire's existence unfolds in a world where human influence meets the natural environment, filled with homes, hills, power lines, and wind turbines. In this environment, even the ordinary sound of a smoke detector becomes unsettling. Troubled and determined, Claire requests medical examinations, only to be unsurprisingly informed that her experiences might be linked to stress, anxiety, or possibly the perimenopause.
It's no surprise that, as she navigates through her feelings, Claire's bond with Kyle intensifies and, regardless of her efforts to maintain boundaries, it teeters on the brink of being inappropriate. Ultimately, it's up to us to determine whether Claire and Kyle are losing their grip or if, amidst the apathy of those around them, their perspectives are the ones that make the most sense.
In her role as Claire, Hall embodies a torrent of emotions that seem just beneath the surface. Before she began experiencing these overwhelming sensations, her life, by conventional standards, appeared quite successful. However, an offhand remark made early on – "If you’d told me I would be a teacher and a mom, I would’ve replied, ‘Sure, that sounds great. But what else?’" – makes us question whether the underlying buzz represents her dissatisfaction.
As Claire's life starts to crumble, both she and we are prompted to reflect on whether it was just a question of time before she shattered everything.
The Listeners features an intriguing concept at its core, and it presents this idea with great flair. Created by the same group behind Normal People and Poor Things, the show’s visual style reflects its eerie essence, characterized by clean architectural lines, subtle color palettes, and lightly faded features. If you appreciate striking cheekbones, you’ll definitely enjoy this drama.
As the story unfolds, Claire becomes involved with a circle of individuals who experience the hum. Guided by Omar (played by Amr Waked) and Jo (brilliantly portrayed by Gayle Rankin), they hold gatherings that lead participants into a state that blurs the line between deep meditation and madness. When experienced fully, the hum seems to evoke a sensation that can only be described as blissful.
Conspiracy theories start to emerge: is the hum linked to a larger scheme? Is it a way for the government to exert control? However, what’s even more intriguing is how everyone who hears the sound shares a common feeling of being overlooked and misunderstood. This group consists of regular individuals who are puzzled and exasperated, united in their struggle against society's indifference.
Their suffering reminds us of several recent controversies in the UK, such as the case of the sub-postmasters, the Grenfell tragedy, and the victims of contaminated blood. Claire's fight to be heard highlights an uncomfortable truth: our immediate reaction often tends to be to silence those who speak out instead of tackling the underlying issues.
From its gentle beginning to its dramatic conclusion, this show is an exceptional example of television. Ultimately, there’s nothing more impactful than having your voice acknowledged.
The Listeners will air again next Tuesday at 9 PM on BBC One. You can also watch the entire series on BBC iPlayer.
