In all honesty this movie starts as a rambling, awkward mess which slowly becomes punctuated by moments of touching brilliance coming out of seemingly nowhere.
Shy teenager Kevin traipses through high school all the while being dragged along by his best friend Hunter, whose dreams of becoming a metal god threaten to tear down the very two man band he's built. Together they traverse friendship, love, and most of all what it means to keep everything "Metal".
While I was struggling to keep myself engaged in this seemingly flop of a movie, a poignant and well executed turn in the story made me sit up straight in my seat. From there on I was treated to what became an increasingly riveting story with characters that extended beyond the superficial.
I was particularly touched with a surprisingly complex character suffering from mental illness, treated with finesse and a level of understanding that I can only surmise comes from real world experience.
Overall this movie was not your typical coming of age teen rom com, and you can expect a somewhat sophisticated peek into the lives of teenagers finding their own, messy ways into adulthood and what it ultimately means to find acceptance in yourself and others.
HEAVY. METAL. FOREVER!!!
