Yes, it’sRebecca Hall, but hold your horses, it’s not aGodzillateaser by any chance. The BAFTA nominated actress is set to lead a new BBC limited series, titledThe Listeners. The four-part series made its highly anticipatedToronto International Film Festival premiere in September, and is well positioned to be one of the most thought-provoking dramas of the year so far. Ahead of its release later this fall on November 19, a new trailer has been released to offer more context to the mysterious situation Hall’s character finds herself.
Hall plays the series main protagonist Claire and the trailer begins with a puzzled Claire inquiring, “What’s that noise then?” a voice then responds to her: “I’m worried about you, you’ve been weird… people are noticing.” Things seem to rapidly escalate for Claire, and soon she explains how she feels like she can’t trust her senses. Step forward Kyle, Claire’s student who claims he can also hear the same noise, telling her, “maybe we can talk about it more.” The rest of the trailer sees Claire undergo medical tests, and soon begins to attend some unorthodox and slightly creepy meetings. It would seem that the pursuit to get to the bottom of her particular affliction will take Claire to some unconventional and disturbing places.
The Listenersfollow Hall’s Claire, an English teacher whose life is quickly disrupted when she starts hearing a mysterious humming sound no one else can detect. It’s a condition that no medical consultation can find a cause. However, Claire soon finds some solace when her student Kyle reveals he can also hear the same sounds. This connection will, however, lead Claire down an unpredictable rabbit hole. The BBC describesThe Listenersas “enigmatic, provocative, and haunting” adding that it will explore “the seduction of the wild and unknowable, the human search for the transcendent, the rise of conspiracy culture in the West, and the desire for community and connection in our increasingly polarised times”.
‘The Listeners’ Leans Into Some Slightly Unorthodox Places
The series is based on the best-selling novel by authorJordan Tannahill, with its episodes directed byJanicza Bravo, whose credits include series likeDear White People,Atlanta,Kindred,andPoker Face. Besides Hall,The Listenersalso starsClaire Ashton(Red, White & Royal Blue),Gayle Rankin(House of the Dragon),Amr Waked(Firebrand),Karen Henthorn(Coronation Street),Lucy Sheen(Ping Pong),Prasanna Puwanarajah(The Crown),Karen Henthorn(Passengers),Samuel Edward-Cook(Peaky Blinders) andOllie West.
Afterearly screeningsat TIFF earlier in the year, the series was praised by Collider’sTania Hussain. In her review, the critic called the series a “thought-provoking mystery” and wrote thatRebecca Hall is at the top of her gamewith her work on the series: “Able to convey a deep, conflicted demeanor and apprehension, Hall shows us what it feels like through her eyes, the furrow of her brow, or even a slight frown that speaks deeply to her modest, quiet desperation for answers.”
The Listenerswill start airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on 19th November. Watch the trailer above.
The Listeners (2024)
A popular English teacher begins hearing a strange, low hum that no one else around her can detect. As the sound disrupts her family life, she finds solace in a student who also hears it. Together, they join a mysterious group that believes the noise is meant for a select few, exploring themes of conspiracy, transcendence, and belonging.
