The Listeners aims for poignancy, but delivers a shallow tale of cults and existential dread

At one point in The Listeners, the main character’s former coworker bluntly tells her, “Being your friend is like being a wall for you to bounce your voice against.” It’s a damning indictment of Claire Kutty (Rebecca Hall) as a person—icy and inscrutable, even to those she spends most of her time with. Does she choose detachment on purpose, or is it because no one understands her problems, so she’s forced to deal with them alone? In the five-part miniseries, adapted by Jordan Tannahill from his novel of the same name, Hall convincingly portrays Claire’s existential dread and desire for liberation. The actor is a compelling anchor for The Listeners; unfortunately, the enticing character study she’s in is buried under layers of scandalous, thought-provoking ideas that the show doesn’t actually care to examine, rendering it hollow. 

Claire’s troubles begin when she starts hearing a low, persistent hum—a seemingly real and mysterious phenomenon. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, the ringing follows. Sound designer Steve Fanagan’s rendition of that soft but eerie thumping noise is essential to and helps ratchet up the tension, as does Janicza Bravo’s direction. The constant buzz disrupts Claire’s day-to-day activities, slowly dismantling her picture-perfect life of a big house, lovely family, and cool job. Her loved ones, colleagues, and therapist can’t fathom why she’s distant, suffers from insomnia, and loses focus. No matter how much she discusses the droning sound that’s driving her to madness, no one else (ironically) hears or comprehends her issues. 

In other words, the hum can be considered an allegory of how some people are forced to move through life without support, and that not being taken seriously or feeling abandoned can affect their mental health. It’s easier for Claire’s husband, Paul (Prasanna Puwanarajah), and 17-year-old daughter, Ashley (Mia Tharia)—two extremely underwritten characters—to dub her unwell than to empathize with her sudden changes. It pushes Claire to seek comfort elsewhere, starting with her young student, Kyle (Ollie West), who confesses he also hears a similar hum. As both of them try to find out the truth behind their affliction, Claire and Kyle get close—uncomfortably, disastrously close in a way that begs addressing. 

The Listeners explores the repercussions of their unconventional bond from the peripheral POV of Paul, Ashley, and Kyle’s understandably concerned mother, Siobhan (Niamh McCann). But the show also goes so far as to frame them as the unreasonable ones for wanting Claire and Kyle to stay away from each other. Even though Claire and Kyle aren’t sexual or romantic per se, the connection is intimate. The show does itself a disservice by not digging deeper into the weird, gross power dynamics at play, instead of only painting Claire’s choices as a way for her to dodge societal expectations. Kyle’s own desire to be perceived takes an unfortunate backseat as well. With his attention so divided, Tannahill is unable to sustain The Listeners’ ambitious, philosophical material.