7/10
Metal is forever
14 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
'Pop Redemption' aka 'Happy Metal' tells the story of a fictional band, four guys who stick together out of habit, although they feel like splitting up. Three of them have a life, a job, a girlfriend etc., but the singer just totally lives the dream of becoming a star with the loudest, nastiest black metal band he can imagine. When they get a gig offer at the famous Hellfest festival, they travel in a van across France with disastrous consequences: they kill a man in a traffic accident, lose their van, and when they are wanted by the police, their only possible disguise is as a flower power band. For who would expect evil black metal maniacs to pose as hippies? When a young fan recognizes the band nonetheless, she tries to help them escape the police and get to the festival in time - even if it's the last thing they'll ever do...

This is a comedy which playfully bridges the gap between two generations. On one hand, many Beatles quotes and the 70s design of the titles makes the 50+ generation remember their youth inside the yellow submarine; on the other hand, the next generation who plays music to destroy speakers and praise Satan is actually not so different, even if they dress in black. It's a comedy with a lot of music, but many contents beyond that, such as the universal theme of friendship. Why do the 4 guys stay together despite the catastrophic situation they get into? Because being in a band is more than just making music. Any kind of music, for that matter. Very funny movie, but also with some substance below the surface.
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