80
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91The PlaylistJoe BlessingThe PlaylistJoe Blessing“Making Waves” covers an impressive amount of ground in 90 minutes and is a perfect introduction to the subject for a student or casual fan.
- 90Film ThreatBradley GibsonFilm ThreatBradley GibsonIt’s tempting to talk about Making Waves as being educational, but it is not dryly academic, though it does introduce the subject in some detail. This is a fun film to watch, with the interviews and graphics illustrating how the sound comes together, the doc is an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the effort and skill required to create movie sound artfully.
- 90Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranThough she’s a first-time director, Costin has put together a film that’s a savvy cinematic education as well as pure fun. If you care about the movies, don’t even think of staying away.
- 84TheWrapWilliam BibbianiTheWrapWilliam BibbianiMaking Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound is a practically perfect primer for anyone interested in the history and craft of filmmaking, answering most of the pertinent, baseline questions while leaving plenty of room for supplemental research.
- 83The Film StageJohn FinkThe Film StageJohn FinkIt demystifies an important part of movie magic with a diverse group of veterans of the craft, many who got their start as an apprentice for the best in the industry.
- 80The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyDocumentaries about film technology, at least those that aspire to reach some portion of a mainstream audience, have to make wonkiness ingratiating. Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, a cogent and winning picture directed by Midge Costin, does this in a variety of ways.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid Ehrlich"Making Waves” is smartly articulated and arranged, with Costin breaking the film down into the various disciplines of sound design in order to illustrate just how much thought goes into every decibel.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe documentary — a polished directing debut for veteran sound editor Costin — will leave many geekier audience members wishing it were three times as long.
- 60CineVueMartyn ConterioCineVueMartyn ConterioThe tradition of star-worship and auteur theory has unnecessarily diminished the key roles of others. Thankfully, Making Waves gives these genius-level background figures their well-earned due.