by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Metal heads, are you ready for the coming-of-age story you have always wanted? If so, Netflix has your back. Metal Lords tells the tale of a young man, Kevin (Jaeden Martell), and his best friend, Hunter (Adrian Greensmith), and they are presently a heavy metal duo. They yearn for a bass player so they can fill out their power trio. The issue? Metal is taboo and Hunter is a jerk. But one day, Kevin falls for the unstable but charming cellist named Emily (Isis Hainsworth). She is quirky, fiery, and a bit too perfect for a real girl (you can tell a dude wrote this movie). But will Kevin stick by his friend or the new girl of his dreams? So much heavy metal teen angst to enjoy!
With a familiar high school setting, how does director Peter Sollett make Metal Lords stand out? First off, there is a real love for metal. There are even some legendary cameos at one point that put a giant smile on my face, as a metal head myself. There is a real appreciation for the genre and a great use of the music throughout. Generally, the film is grounded, but there are some crazy moments that feel so ridiculous, like a full-blown car chase that feels out of place. There are some other moments that feel overacted, but generally the film has a crazy fun pace, so they don’t feel so bad. There is a TV quality to the cinematography, which is unfortunate, but the heart of the film makes up for it.
But what does writer D.B. Weiss (yes… of Game of Thrones fame) bring to the table? There are multiple significant relationships in the film that have a varying degree of effectiveness. Even if Emily feels a little too perfectly written, the budding romance between her and Kevin feels genuine and endearing. They are the real heart of the film. Kevin’s journey to finding his own way without Hunter is also well done and effective. What doesn’t work so much is Hunter’s so-called redemption. He is SO unlikable that even by the end, I really could not find myself supporting him. You know where the film is going, but honestly it would have been better if it took a risky approach with its central friendship. The script tries its best to make Hunter sympathetic, but it only works because his father and bullies are pure evil, which feels so easy and lazy.
Can a young crew of actors anchor this Netflix effort? Martell feels like he is a true veteran in film already, and he shows it with his charmingly awkward performance as Kevin. He also has great chemistry with Hainsworth, who has plenty of fun being a sweet, yet unhinged Emily. Greensmith goes all in as Hunter with a forceful commitment, even if he is written so poorly. Joe Manganiello has a lot of fun in his brief, but edgy performance as a metal head doctor, and Brett Gelman chews it up as Hunter’s horrible father. Generally, the cast does a lot of the heavy lifting here to make this one a charming ride.
Will Metal Lords deliver even for the uninitiated out there? This has plenty of charming and sweet elements that make it a fun coming-of-age tale. Being a metal head just makes it even better. A game cast and a good message of self-worth and embracing your identity are the cherries on top of this winning combination for Netflix.
Score: 7/10
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