Lords of Chaos

Set against the grim backdrop of the late 1980s and early 1990s in Oslo, Norway, the movie Lords of Chaos is a poignant, stark portrayal of the infamous black metal subculture that held Norway, particularly its capital city, in its deathly grip. Grounded on the alarming true events revolving around the Norwegian Black Metal scene, this dark and disturbing biographical drama from 2018, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, introduces the audience to a world unknown to many, filled with music, friendship, fame, madness, darkness, and chaos of unbelievable proportions.

At the core of the story is a young man named Øystein Aarseth, portrayed masterfully by Rory Culkin. Known by his nickname Euronymous, Aarseth is the guitarist and founder of Mayhem, a pioneer in the Norwegian black metal scene. The move revolves around the story of Mayhem – their struggles, success, controversies, and eventual disarray – told mainly from Euronymous's perspective. He forms a bond with Varg Vikernes (Emory Cohen), a fan turned band member, whose fanaticism to the cause of black metal would lead him down a sinister path.

Emory Cohen gives an eerie performance as the notorious Vikernes. His metamorphosis from an ardent fan to a key player in the band, and finally to a terrifying fanatic is commendable. His journey, interwoven with the growth of black metal is a grim reminder of how art forms may be twisted into tools of hatred and violence.

Jack Kilmer plays the role of Per Yngve Ohlin, an important character whose suicidal tendencies and self-mutilating stage antics add another dimension of macabre reality to the narrative. His portrayal vividly illustrates the intricacies of Ohlin’s tragically disturbed mind, demonstrating how his actions propelled Mayhem further into infamy.

The movie is stark, raw, and unapologetic in the way it presents the black metal scene. It does not shy away from showcasing the pathos, the senselessness, and the sheer brutality that encapsulated this particular time and place. Director Jonas Åkerlund, a music video veteran and ex-drummer of the Swedish black metal band Bathory, brings authenticity to the narrative with his firsthand understanding of the music and the culture.

Every frame in Lords of Chaos is soaked with the decadent aesthetics of black metal – the precarious rebellion against conformity, the burning churches, the kvlt in all its ghastly glory, and the self-destructive pursuit of "true Norwegian Black Metal". The strong performance by the cast, coupled with Åkerlund's evocative direction and the gut-wrenchingly visceral cinematography, ushers you to the very heart of this insidious vortex.

The sinister music score, blended with the harsh, brutal sounds of black metal, serves to heighten the sense of impending doom that hangs heavy over the narrative. There is an element of theatricality in the soundtrack, reflective of the grandiosity inherent in the black metal subculture.

In spite of the grim fame that surrounds Mayhem, Lords of Chaos at its heart is a movie about youth and friendship. As much as it's about the music and the controversy, it's also about the relationship between Euronymous and Varg, about their camaraderie and their conflicts, and how their friendship spirals out of control, painting a chilling image of how mortality and infamy become intertwined in the history of black metal. The narrative brilliantly captures this dichotomy – the thirst for fame and acceptance versus the drive for rebellion and dissociation, the sense of community versus the essence of anarchy, and the yearning for life versus the fascination with death.

In conclusion, Lords of Chaos is a stark, disturbingly brutal, and mesmerizing chronicle of the rise and fall of the pioneers of Norwegian black metal. It's an exploration of youth, friendship, music, and madness, served with an unsettling dose of grim reality. This narrative journey, enriched with stellar performances and phenomenal direction, is bound to leave an indelible mark on the audience's mind. This is not just a movie for the fans of black metal; it's a revelation for everybody willing to venture right into the heart of darkness, only to discover tragedy, chaos, and an inexplicable fascination for the macabre.