Here’s What the Critics Are Saying About Lords of Chaos
Hey, so remember how yesterday we were all, “The Lords of Chaos movie is debuting at Sundace this week and we’ll let you know when reviews start to come in”?
Well, reviews have start to come in! And they’re positive to boot, praising director Jonas Åkerlund and lead actors Rory Culkin (who plays Euronymous) and Emory Cohen (who plays Varg Vikernes):
From David Fear at Rolling Stone:
“What Culkin, Åkerlund & co. deliver is less a biopic than a horror movie. As the story of a band run amok, it’s decent enough. But as a true-crime case study that happens to involve headbanging, upside-down crosses, vandalism, delinquency and some bitchin’ concert t-shirts, ‘Chaos’ reigns.”
From Drew McWeeny at The Tracking Board:
“Jonas Åkerlund’s ‘Lords of Chaos’ looks at what happened when the Norwegian black metal scene curdled into something genuinely deadly, and manages to do it with more humor, style, and humanity than I would have guessed possible.”
From Ali Shimkus at Slug:
“If you’re looking for a movie with a sympathetic protagonist, you’re not going to find it here. However, it still made for an extremely gripping film that sticks in your mind long after it is over, and Culkin and Cohen’s performances were both chilling and memorable.”
From Noel Lawrence at Screen Anarchy:
“Most importantly, Åkerlund executes a somewhat remarkable feat in that the audience finds itself sympathizing with the characters despite all of the arson and bloodshed. As with Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas,’ we find ourselves rooting for some rather despicable figures. Perhaps, I would be tempted to call the phenomenon ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ but for the fact that the film takes place in Oslo. Regardless, this pic will please metal fans and outsiders alike.”
I’m still skeptical, mostly because I’m not much of a fan of Åkerlund’s other movies. Still, this is encouraging! Hopefully those of us who don’t go to fancy-schmancy film festivals will get to see the rest of the movie sooner rather than later.
[via Metal Insider]
