Director: Peter Sollett
Screenplay: D.B. Weiss (of Game of Thrones fame)
Year: 2022
Genre: Teen, comedy-drama
Running time: 98 minutes
Rating: 15+
Main characters: Kevin Schlieb (Jaeden Martell), Hunter Sylvester (Adrian Greensmith), Emily Spector (Isis Hainsworth).
Short summary: High school misfits Kevin and Hunter try to form a heavy metal band just in time for their school’s Battle of the Bands contest. Hunter lives for the genre; there are band posters in his wall, band shirts in his closet, he shreds on his guitar and has written a true headbanger, “Machinery of Torment”, to use in the contest. Meanwhile, the nerdy, bespectacled Kevin is more of a reluctant sidekick, and just wants to fit in with the cool, hard-partying, hard-drinking kids. The band lacks a bassist, and they endure severe bullying and family issues. Hunter, however, embraces the metal lifestyle in full and gives his partner “homework” (that is, listening to a carefully planned song selection) to help him get used to his full drum set, as he can only play the snare drum in the marching band. To solve the bass player crisis, Kevin suggests Emily, a shy Scottish student who has severe anger issues and is great on cello… that is almost like a bass player, right? Hunter dismisses the notion of a female cellist as ridiculous. But Kevin and Emily start dating, and Kevin is invited to play the drums with Mollycoddle, Hunter’s rivals at the contest. These two circumstances drive a wedge between the two friends; and soon, Kevin will have to make a choice between friendship and popularity.
Analysis: Metal Lords is far from being the stereotypical high school movie. And the main reason for that is that the protagonists are far from being one-dimensional stereotypes or overused clichés. We got an RPG nerd who is also a hopeless romantic and talented drummer; his metal-obsessed partner who may seem too intense and obnoxious but is deep down a tragic figure and dedicated friend; and a classical musician who struggles with mental illness but is very nice and friendly otherwise. What classifies it as a teen movie are the issues and dilemmas they face.
Kevin gets drunk twice at parties, and both he and Hunter suffer severe bullying, with the latter getting it worst due to this tendency to punch back. Out of the trio, Greensmith takes the cake. His Hunter is constantly tormented in high school and has a very poor relationship with his single womanizing father. As a result, he is aggressive, and filled with rage which he vents out with the help of his musical idols—Amon Amarth, Sepultura, Slipknot, etc. He curses a lot, goes to great lengths to put Emily down, and in one scene gets arrested, but he gets nicer and better after he reevaluates his friendship with Kevin and places it over winning the contest. It is clear in his performance as Hunter, Greensmith creates a hybrid of very dorky and very cool which makes him all the more compelling.
There is a lot of violence in this movie: A bully punching his victim in the stomach; a perpetually anger management student hitting people with hard objects; and a teenager getting thrown against heavy equipment which falls and breaks his leg. In what I consider to the best scene of the movie, Kevin’s conscience materializes in the form of heavy metal musicians Rob Halford, Kirk Hammett, Scott Ian, and Tom Morello. Their presence helps him realize where his loyalties truly stand; he reaffirms his love for Emily and frees Hunter, who was sent to a rehab by his father as a drastic measure for his misbehavior; therefore, setting the climax of the movie.
And then there is the Battle of the Bands itself, when the boys and Emily (with an electric cello and clad in full metal gear) rock out to their hit, “Machinery of Torment”. Within a few seconds, the entire school transitions into a mosh pit, with even the popular kids and cliquey cheerleaders join in the fun. It is clear that Skullflower (the name they used since the original one was too inappropriate for high school grounds) managed to make classmates more interested in Swift than Sabbath attracted to metal in no time; and even if the school tormentor’s antics caused them to come in second to Mollycoddle, they are the true moral winners of the contest since they demonstrated the true power of music as a creative outlet for those who want to escape reality, question it, or channel their own inner strength. After his unifying, reinvigorating experience, they keep up the band and keep practicing at Hunter’s, bound by a new sense of making a name for themselves.
Why you should watch this movie: You should watch Metal Lords because it is the refreshening, educating experience Netflix so desperately needed. In a world dominated by computers, pop, hip-hop and trap, and reality singing shows (The Voice, American Idol, The X-Factor), people have forgotten the true meaning and essence of music. Sure, it feels great to sing in front of a crowd and three judges, but then it turns into a disappointing, heartbreaking experience when the verdict is, “You are not good enough.” And a lot of rock and metal gods argue with me. Paraphrasing Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, your first goal in playing music should always be playing for yourself; it makes it all the more worthwhile and regarding. And that is what our three heroes achieved, reaffirming the adrenaline-pumping experience that is heavy metal; playing music should be exciting at its core, not just a money-making mass product.
This is a good choice for family nights if you are in for some laughs. While not a tearjerker, Metal Lords is certainly heartwarming. At its core are typical messages of friendship, love, and the issues of adolescence; all of it underscored with an original, non-clichéd storyline and some great headbanging tunes that will get angsty, world-weary teenagers (Daria, I know you are there) into grabbing their guitars and pouring it all into what I consider to be the greatest form of musical expression in the last 50 years. Will Netflix keep surprising us with fresh originals like this one? I can only hope that’s the case!