Metalhead

It's not often I see Icelandic movies available let alone ones that peak my interest so I rushed to see Metalhead first opportunity I got.

Initially I wasn't sure what to make of it but it didn't take me long to get engrossed into this fascinating little tale.

Essentially a tale of grief and one girls way of handling a great pain in her life this is a story that many will empathise with (Though maybe not to some of the same extremes)

With strong performances from the outset, a gripping highly original unique storyline & great soundtrack this is a piece of world cinema well worth anyone's time.

It may seem that this film is about music or about a musical style, but it really speaks about what is that people thinks about us and what they think we should be or they want us to be, about what we want to be and about who we really are. Talk about the most important thing in life, which is one's own identity and our happiness. Very powerful message. It is an excellent film.

A throwback in time. To some to a better time (and music) and to a smaller village that is center stage here. We do have a girl who's different and is not really liked for that reason. The story has a lot of good songs (again only if you like the music of course) and a character development that might be predictable but still works, especially because of the acting.

It stays true to its nature most of the time, not going for an easy way out (no pun intended), but might have jumped the shark a bit at the ending (depending on your view of what's happening). Still good strong characters and a nice story.

I liked Málmhaus as a drama a lot, only the resolution, the ending was a little too much suger-candy for me. I know, I know, sometimes a positive message is not a bad one, but after the really well made story and well performing cast, I would have liked a more twisted or more "serious" ending, or maybe an idea that was not that obvious. Anyway, still good.

I saw bunch of "metal" movies. Usually they are documentary about specific bands or metal culture overall, B-production horrors, comedies or horror-comedies, but this is the very first time I ran into drama. This Icelandic movie brings painful story about girl whose metal-head brother died when she was twelve. Trying to deal with her pain she turns to his music, loses faith in God and finally, under influence of burning churches in Norway in early 90's, she turns to black metal. Story about loss, thoughtlessness, unconformity and rebellion, growing up and finding one true self. Slow, heavy and realistic movie that stands out from the mass of template teenage drama to which we are accustomed. It's not masterpiece, but it is worth your time and I warmly recommend it.

8/10