Review: Lords of Chaos (2018)

Directed by: Jonas Åkerlund
Written by: Jonas Åkerlund and Dennis Magnusson
Starring: Rory Culkin, Emory Cohen and Jack Kilmer

This is the music biopic that I've wanted to see for years. I can think back as far as 2008 wanting a movie about the Early Norwegian black metal scene. I was obsessed with all forms of heavy metal, and to an extent I still am. I was also only just starting to get serious about my passion for cinema as well. Only last week however did I finally get to see this film I always dreamed about. It's not the perfect story of black metal, but when biopics of musicians usually focus on comparatively tame figures like Johnny Cash, Ray Charles or the Four Seasons, I was psyched for something a little less conventional.

In the early 1990s, Norway is an idyllic place to live. It's peaceful and most of its people are happy keeping to their traditions. Despite this society's prosperity, it's totally unlike the mood expressed in extreme metal. A young man named Øystein Aarseth adopts the pseudonym Euronymous and forms Mayhem, a pioneering metal band that defines the style of Norwegian black metal. They would eventually become the most notorious and controversial band in the metal underground. As their music blossoms into a passionate scene, Euronymous and his followers are lead down a dark path of suicide, church arson and murder.

What surprised me the most initially was how effectively the film utilized its modest budget. I was quite amazed at the depiction of the church burnings, both in terms of the physical recreation of these infamous crimes, but also in the behavior and thinking of those involved. However I also feel budgetary considerations may have imposed a limit on Lords of Chaos realizing its potential as the ideal black metal story. It too often feels like the story of Mayhem as the band rather than the Norwegian metal scene as a whole. Varg Vikernes of Burzum plays a crucial role, but what about Emperor, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and Immortal? All of them deserve just as much credit for this music and the controversy surrounding it. Perhaps that's my own bias emerging. Vikernes and Mayhem's current members have expressed their own less than satisfactory views.

The performances are strong. I didn't completely believe Rory Culkin or Emory Cohen as Euronymous and Varg, They felt more like actors to me rather than the real-life men behind the music, but they are competent all the same. I have to praise Jack Kilmer for his performance as Per Ohlin, more popularly known as 'Dead.' For years I saw Dead as the deranged frontman that aided Mayhem's best content, and I adored seeing him depicted in such a sympathetic, tragic light. In many ways Lords of Chaos feels like any other rock n' roll movie if it was on steroids. The youth of its characters is reflected in their drive for rebellion, hatred of the establishment and the desire to make a mark on the world, but Åkerlund's direction provides an ominous atmosphere reminding us of just how out of touch with right and wrong Euronymous and Varg are. It totally drew me in and the time just flew by.

Lords of Chaos claims in the opening credits that it's based on "truth, lies and what actually happened" reminding us that much of this story is made up of conflicting accounts and holes in the bigger narrative. For what I could expect, I was very happy with this movie, both as a black metal fan and as a movie buff.

My Rating: 8.5/10