Metal Lords, 2022.
Directed by Peter Sollett.
Starring Jaeden Martell, Isis Hainsworth, Adrian Greensmith, Phelan Davis, Brett Gelman, Sufe Bradshaw, Michelle Fang, Noah Urrea, Teddy Van Ee, and Analesa Fisher.
SYNOPSIS:
Two friends try to form a heavy metal band with a cellist for the Battle of the Bands.
If you had asked me how key Game of Thrones showrunner D.B. Weiss would follow up that success, a high school dramedy about metal misfits would have never crossed my mind. However, Metal Lords works not just because the script is clever and subversive (there are plenty of moments that threaten to cross into heavy cliché territory only to avoid it entirely with inventive thoughtfulness), but also how he benefits from bringing aboard regular collaborative composer Ramin Djawadi to do his thing reworking beloved songs into beautifully constructed melodies. The story also never loses sight of these characters and their struggles, which is essential considering it deals with ostracism, mental health, questionable parenting, bullying, and first love. Directed by Peter Sollett, Metal Lords also takes the universality of music and smartly threads all of these themes into a standard Battle of the Bands competition while exploring what it really means to “be metal. ”
For social outcast Hunter Sylvester (Adrian Greensmith, playing this troubled character with the required layers to register him as occasionally unlikable but human and hurting inside, deserving of empathy), it’s about commitment to the flesh and speaking truth to power. He longs to have a heralded band someday (and for those frustrated the movie doesn’t delve into more niche groups, Hunter acknowledges he’s only interested in mainstream metal, which feels logical in the context of the character), roping his childhood friend Kevin (Jaeden Martell, awkward, vulnerable, and eventually conflicted) into learning about everyone from Metallica to Slipknot and playing the drums.
Kevin is far too shy and a pushover to make friends himself, so Hunter has always looked out for and defended him. As such, Kevin’s identity is basically tied to his best friend. However, following a bold move to enter the high school’s Band of the Bands contest and garner a bit of popularity, that journey sends them looking for a bassist. This sees Kevin crossing paths with marching band drummer Emily (a tender Isis Hainsworth).
The character of Emily also could have resulted in disaster. She is introduced, blowing up and profusely swearing at her marching band coach in what is hard to decipher as a misguided attempt at comedy or something more serious. Maybe it’s both. The point is that it’s not long before we learn her real passion is playing cello and that she takes medication for an illness. She doesn’t want to lash out at people that way, which is one of many gentle moments that shows while much of this is a comedy, there is real pain here that’s not funny and will not be utilized for cheap laughs. They quickly become a sweet pair made for one another, with Kevin eager to have Emily play in the band.
“That’s gay,” says Hunter (in response to having a cellist), who has chosen the name Skullfucker for their band and routinely inserts phallic imagery and wording into his art. Even the boy’s father, who is not necessarily a tentative and sensitive parent, is quick to label Hunter as an incel. Neither the film nor the characters shy away from the fact that Hunter does have issues, with him obviously being afraid that a girl is not only going to disrupt their friendship but the control he has over Kevin. A power that Hunter shouldn’t have in the first place but does because he is scared to be alone and desperately wants his metal dreams to become a reality.
Admittedly, some of this sounds routine, but the screenplay refuses to delve into clichés like the cheating boyfriend as Kevin also has a lonely girl interested in him more physically (something that is brilliantly averted) or overblow the friction in the friendship. These characters solve their differences organically and with the unity of music. And any movie that allows Ramin Djawadi to take a crack at some metal covers is worth checking out. The comedy doesn’t always land, but Metal Lords sincerely cares about these characters, which is enough to make us want to rock out with them as they find a place of belonging. All three leads stand out (Jaeden Martel usually does), elevating the material like a good solo.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
