Following my screening of Johannes Grenzfurthner’s MASKING THRESHOLD, he asked me when I started to hate his main character. He seemed shocked that I genuinely felt sorry for the character through most of the movie. Don’t get me wrong, the unnamed main character, an IT tech cooped up in his house trying to figure out the cause and possible cure for his tinnitus does some reprehensible acts that are extremely hard to watch. Perhaps something is wrong with me, or maybe something is wrong in society, or maybe my sympathy comes from the terrific voice work by Ethan Haslam, who sucks you into the character’s mind.

Many filmmakers have tried to draw the audience in on a descent into madness, but very few have done it as effectively as Grenzfurthner. We watch and, more importantly, listen as the main character slowly grows bolder and bolder with his experiments.

It will not take you long to realize that you are in for something special when watching Johannes Grenzfurthner’s MASKING THRESHOLD. Shot in medium, close-up, and macro camera work; you never get to see the main character’s face. You are a third-person observer of the actions of Grenzfurthner’s character. The activities your watch and the voice you hear will disgust you.

We’ll leave it up to you, as to whether you can feel any sympathy for him.