Can disturbing sounds of ‘The Zone of Interest’ achieve an Oscar upset?

On paper, “Oppenheimer” looks like the obvious choice for Best Sound at the Oscars. It is, after all, about the development and testing of the atomic bomb. But the award often goes to the film with the most conspicuous use of sound, and in this case that might not be the loudest movie, but the movie whose sound design most drives its emotional effect. That could be “The Zone of Interest.”

“Zone of Interest” already upset “Oppenheimer” for Best Sound at the BAFTAs, which opens the door for an Oscars surprise. Set during the Holocaust, “Zone” tells the story of the Nazi commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp and his family, who live idyllic lives amid the genocide. But the film doesn’t depict the Holocaust visually. The impact comes from hearing the atrocities in the background of peaceful domestic scenes. How easy is it, the film ponders, for a family to shut off their humanity with horrors happening on the other side of their wall?

In telling a story so focused on what you can hear, “Zone” is reminiscent of a recent Oscar winner for Best Sound, “Sound of Metal,” which assumes the point of view of a rock drummer losing his hearing. That film also lacked the explosions and/or musical flourishes that usually distinguish Oscar winners in the category, but in both cases sound is the focal point of the narrative.

Nevertheless, “Oppenheimer” is the Oscar front-runner. The historical epic is predicted to win by 18 of the Expert journalists we’ve surveyed from major media outlets. However, seven Experts are betting on “Zone of Interest.” That’s far more than the one Expert who correctly predicted “Zone” at the BAFTAs, so it would appear that multiple journos have been reconsidering their Oscar bets in the category since then. Are they right to jump ship from “Oppenheimer” and place their bet on the disturbing sounds of “Interest”?

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