Alex Noyer
Alex Noyer | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Notable work | |
Alex Noyer is a French-Finnish film director, screenwriter and producer. He produced the music documentary 808 (2015), about the influence of the Roland TR-808 drum machine, before moving into narrative filmmaking. He made his feature directorial debut with the horror film Sound of Violence (2021), which premiered at South by Southwest.[1]
Career
[edit]Documentary work
[edit]Noyer worked as a producer before becoming a director. He developed the idea for 808, a documentary about the Roland TR-808 drum machine and its influence on popular music. The film was directed by Alexander Dunn and produced by Noyer, Dunn, Arthur Baker and Craig Kallman. It featured musicians and producers including Phil Collins, Pharrell Williams, Afrika Bambaataa, Diplo and Rick Rubin.[2]
Noyer said the project originated from conversations with Baker about music made with the TR-808. Production developed over several years and involved more than 55 interviews.[3]
808 premiered at South by Southwest in 2015. Noyer subsequently took the documentary to film festivals and presented it at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.[4]
Transition to directing
[edit]After working primarily in documentary production, Noyer began developing narrative projects. In 2016, Screen International reported that his planned feature directorial debut, Sielu, was being developed as a Finland–United States co-production.[5]
Noyer later wrote and directed the short horror film Conductor. The project led to the development of his first feature, Sound of Violence. Noyer described Conductor as an attempt to move from producing into directing and subsequently expanded ideas from the short into a feature-length screenplay.[6]
Sound of Violence
[edit]Noyer wrote, directed and produced Sound of Violence, starring Jasmin Savoy Brown, Lili Simmons and James Jagger. The film follows a musician who experiences synesthesia while creating music from acts of violence. It premiered in the Midnighters section of the 2021 South by Southwest festival.[1]
Noyer said that he conceived the protagonist as an artist rather than simply a serial killer and used sound, hearing loss and synesthesia as central elements of the film.[1] In an interview with Eye for Film, he said the project grew out of his experience making 808 and his subsequent desire to work in horror.[6]
The film received mixed-to-positive reviews. Critics commented on Noyer's use of sound and stylized violence. Jessica Kiang of Variety discussed the film's combination of synesthesia, trauma and elaborate murder sequences,[7] while Andrew Crump of The Playlist praised Noyer's visual imagination and approach to the film's violent set pieces while criticizing aspects of its characterization and narrative.[8]
Later work
[edit]Noyer subsequently directed Love Is the Monster, a horror film drawing on Finnish mythology.[9]
In 2025, he directed the drama These Little Ones Perish, an adaptation of a play by Patrick Hamilton, starring Colin Bates and Ella Kennedy Davis. Production took place in New York. Noyer began the shoot shortly after losing his home in the Palisades Fire.[10][11]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 808 | No | No | Yes |
| 2021 | Sound of Violence | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | Love Is the Monster | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | These Little Ones Perish | Yes | No | Yes |
Short film
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Conductor | Yes | Yes |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Bałaga, Marta (17 March 2021). "Alex Noyer • Director of Sound of Violence". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Derdeyn, Stuart (2015-10-01). "Humble rhythm box beat all expectations". The Province. p. 27. Retrieved 2025-02-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Abram, Malcolm X (2016-02-25). "Rhythm machine earns respect". Akron Beacon Journal. pp. E004. Retrieved 2025-02-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Abram, Malcolm X (2016-02-25). "Rhythm machine earns respect". Akron Beacon Journal. pp. E005. Retrieved 2025-02-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Kay, Jeremy (4 November 2016). "You Know, Amoeba line up Finnish shoot on 'Sielu'". Screen International. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- 1 2 Kermode, Jennie (2 September 2021). "Alex Noyer on inclusivity, creating intimacy and Sound Of Violence". Eye for Film. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Kiang, Jessica (17 May 2021). "'Sound of Violence' Review: A Synesthetic Serial Killer Makes Murder Into Music". Variety. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Crump, Andrew (21 May 2021). "'Sound Of Violence' Has Plenty Of Gore, But Not Enough Character [Review]". The Playlist. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Bałaga, Marta. "Alex Noyer • Director of Love Is the Monster". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (2025-02-25). "After Losing Home In Palisades Fire, Director Alex Noyer Wraps On Drama 'These Little Ones Perish'; Colin Bates & Ella Kennedy Davis Star". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
- ↑ Mack, Andrew (2025-02-26). "THESE LITTLE ONES PERISH: Alex Noyer Wraps Production on New Drama". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved 2025-02-26.