Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A teenager's quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the 1990s results in a very violent outcome.
Lords of Chaos covers genuinely singular territory — the birth of Norwegian black metal, church burnings, and the Varg Vikernes murder — giving it strong novelty as a semi-biographical portrait of a real and disturbing subculture. The film handles this volatile material with a darkly comic yet unflinching tone that feels distinctive. Acting is competent but uneven, with Rory Culkin doing solid work while some supporting performances feel thin. Cinematography is serviceable and gritty without being especially inspired. The plot follows the true events faithfully but struggles to construct a fully satisfying dramatic arc from the episodic real-life chaos. The ending, depicting Euronymous's murder, lands abruptly and somewhat flatly given the buildup, failing to deliver the emotional or thematic weight the story deserves.