Metal and religions collide in this film about family, art and the balance between good and evil. The director Sean Byrne that also did “The Loved Ones” once again has a problem in telling a story in its complexity. Everything lacks subtlety, but at the same time, being very on the nose has its charm. Ethan Embry plays the main character (Jesse Hellman) with a natural that makes the character live. And actually the actors are what really make this movie worth watching. The characters are so endearing that you only want good things to happen to them, which is obviously not what happens.
The production value is gorgeous; everything fits right in its place. There are plenty of metal references (mostly in the first half of the movie) that will make metalheads smile instantaneously. A light movie about heavy subjects, it works on many levels. But the ending is so much of a joke (intentional or not) that it almost makes the whole thing look bad. So if you don’t mind being dragged by the hand, there are a lot of little gems hidden in this far from perfect but enjoyable film.
