Breaking a Monster

A cool doc on the Brooklyn based internet band, Unlocking the Truth, which smashes more stereotypes than it creates. Tracing the ups & downs of a rock group in ascendance, we get a nebbish manager who sees a great thing but his frustrations soon fuel his regrets, a trio of talented pre-teens wondering when their big break will happen & the supportive parents who give their undying attention to their children but not at the expense of them having fun.

Breaking a Monster is a fascinating rockumentary about 3 teenage boys caught in the absurdity of the music industry.

The film introduces us to Malcolm, Jarad and Alec - three 13 year-old African American musicians from Brooklyn who play heavy metal music on the streets of New York City. When one of their youtube videos goes viral, a music producer called Alan Sacks signs them onto a 5 album record deal with Sony Music. Without any recordings or music videos, the trio embark on a US tour whilst simultaneously being dragged from meeting to meeting with old, white, music executives.

Although the music in the film is incredible, and the boys themselves are super charismatic, the crux of the intrigue here is the relationship between Sacks and the 3 teenagers. His attempts to 'guide' them into fame are met with their teenage desire to question and misbehave. The boys interrogate Sacks on when they will see the money from their 'million-dollar' contract, and try and sneak into his fridge during recording sessions to drink more coca-cola.

Breaking a Monster is as funny as it is insightful, the 3 boys are intelligent, talented, and hilarious. They have so much personality, and are so unique in their own way, you can imagine they'd get famous regardless of the route. This film was real winner for me, and while the ending felt like a cliffhanger, it enticed me to go straight online and keep the story going.