Film Review: Biopic Meets Horror Movie In ‘Lords Of Chaos’

Mike Wass | April 9, 2019 2:26 pm
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If you’re looking for a gritty, historically accurate account of the Norwegian Black Metal scene, Lords Of Chaos is not the film for you. (Try Until The Light Takes Us instead). However, what Jonas Åkerlund’s take lacks in subtlety and balanced storytelling, it more than makes up for in sheer entertainment value. The famed director has concocted a glossy biopic/horror hybrid that revels in shock value and depravity — much like music’s most demented genre. The fact that it also manages to humanize the participants is a genuinely impressive achievement.

For the uninitiated, Mayhem pioneered Norwegian Death Metal in the early ’90s. The band developed a cult following thanks to their gory live shows (severed animal heads and self-mutilation) and dedication to all things unholy. They gained international notoriety, however, when the members started dying. The prophetically-titled Dead was the first member to meet his maker — a tragedy that founder Øystein Aarseth, better known as Euronymous, exploited in the most gruesome way. Before he was murdered by another bandmate.

That’s all the background you need to enjoy Lords Of Chaos. We’re introduced to Euronymous (an impressive Rory Culkin) as a fairly normal teenager in the late ’80s. Sure, he’s a little moody and fond of satanic imagery, but the kid is still grounded enough to pose for awkward family photos. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when he forms Mayhem and meets the aforementioned Dead. The band’s lead singer lives and breathes what is essentially still a game to Euronymous.

In Åkerlund’s retelling, the darkness that haunts Dead is passed on to Euronymous (almost as a curse) when he commits suicide. And yet, he still has a spark of life in his eyes — and maybe even something of a conscience. Which becomes apparent when Varg Vikernes, a chilling Emory Cohen, joins Mayhem and ups the ante with arson and ultimately murder. While the escalating mind games and tension between Varg and Euronymous propel the story forward, Åkerlund cannily makes Dead the film’s decaying heart.

His suicide haunts Euronymous in ways that are more eerie and profound than any of Varg’s hijicks. If it sounds dark, it is. But there’s also a heavy dose of (pitch-black) humor. A veteran of the death metal scene himself, Åkerlund knows that there is an inherent tongue-in-cheek quality to the genre. As such, the film falls somewhere between American Psycho and This Is Spinal Tap. Which works better than it has any right to. It also makes the movie more palatable for non-genre fans and heightens the very graphic violence.

Where Åkerlund really comes into his own, however, is the musical scenes (years of directing music videos for the likes of Madonna, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé made him a master). He’s also rather adept at horror. The Swede has a flair for excess, and there is more than enough blood to satisfy the most discerning gorehound. He is less skilled at teasing out the personal dynamics in the film. Some characters are canonized, while others verge on caricature. He also steadfastly avoids all commentary on the movement’s casual Nazism and homophobia.

A tale as grim and fascinating as the fall (and further descent) of Mayhem is worthy of multiple movies. There’s room for a less glossy, grittier version. But Lords Of Chaos more than succeeds as a twisted love letter to Norwegian Black Metal and the short but fascinating lives of Dead and Euronymous. It goes without saying that this film will trigger some viewers. If church burnings, animal cruelty, hate crimes, graphic depictions of suicide and self-mutilation sound like too much for you, give Lords Of Chaos a wide berth. The film is now available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD. You can also rent it from digital retailers.

Rating: 4/5

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