Málmhaus (Metalhead)
Key Facts
Country: 🇮🇸
Genre: Drama
Release Date: 11th October 2013 (Iceland)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Director: Ragnar Bragason
Writer: Ragnar Bragason
Main Cast:
Thora Bjorg Helga - Hera (as Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir)
Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson - Karl
Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir - Droplaug
Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson - Janus
Hannes Óli Ágústsson - Knútur
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson - Einar
Sigrún Edda Björnsdóttir - Anna
Magnús Ólafsson - Erlingur
Óskar Logi Ágústsson - Baldur
Þórunn Arna Kristjánsdóttir - Elsa
Ole Erik Furu - Ingve
Hilmar Wollan III - Oysten
Ragnar Sverrison - Pal Ole
Brynhildur Guðjónsdóttir - Halldóra
Pétur Einarsson - Traveller
Morten Lange - Choir
Ester Sveinbjarnardóttir - Mother in church
Synopsis (IMDb): "On an August midday, somewhere in the remote vastness of rural Iceland, the carefree eleven-year-old, Hera, is unaware that a tragic accident will soon rob her of her last share of happiness. As a result, Hera will rebel against God with an unquenched rage, permeated with the vivid memory of her brother that pulsates in every corner of the house--and under those circumstances, alienated and suicidal--Hera will soon drag herself into a dreary, dead-end life. Years later--still blaming God for the injustice, and fending off any attempts at reconciliation from the local priest--the troubled teenager will embrace her brother's lifestyle, delving deeper and deeper into the unexplored and fascinating new music movement of Black Metal, finally finding a new purpose in life. However--with Hera still aching for closure, while the wounds of the past are always angry and wide-open--will she grasp in time that wallowing in grief can eat her up alive?"
Trailer
Review
Rating (out of 10🤘): 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Metal music aside, this film is primarily about how a person can deal with grief and loss and the journey you take to overcome it through various means. This journey will be relatable to anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, as I feel it is a true resemblance of what grief is, the denial of it and you carry on as normal, but it's pouring out of you in various ways. Whether it is blaming god for Christian injustice or causing havoc on your parent's farm. Set in rural Iceland where winter's are long and harsh is can be considered as a metaphor for Málmhaus. With it being spoken in Icelandic it gives the film much more impact as you view it not as characters but actual people in Iceland going through these things.
As a whole it's a very well written and produced film, showcasing the struggles of loss as well as living in an isolated environment and how many people given these circumstances turn to metal, and some further into extreme metal for some sort of salvation. While it comes across that Hera is honouring the loss of her brother but she also finds herself and her voice, all while being what can be considered as a real pain in the arse to her grieving parents. It's presented in a very simplistic and effective way, nothing flashy or over the top so the message of the film can be truly observed. As much as it is about metal music it's as much about how people react to things more than anything else.
I can relate to growing up in a small town, where you feel like you don't really fit in and then your music taste separates you more from everyone else. Despite this, when Hera presents her music to the people of the village there is a new understanding and that is what I love about this film. The realisation from other people that you do what you do to make you happy as well as deal with your everyday and bigger problems. When Hera discovers black metal through a news broadcast, it resonated with the way that I found black metal. I was looking for something that could really rip out and rearrange my emotions while firing my imagination and I can see that this feeling is what Hera feels.
Overall, I think it's a beautiful film that delves deep into some pretty raw emotions and for me reinforces the idea of what black metal is. It is terrifying for those who aren't used to it but once you find the meaning behind it it all becomes clear. If you look at the film as a personal story of people and grief, given how it shows these strong and raw emotions being processed, I encourage everyone to watch Málmhaus. It's beautifully made and listening to Icelandic (the closest we'll get to old norse in the modern era) is like listening to an ever changing melody for an hour and a half.
As a whole it's a very well written and produced film, showcasing the struggles of loss as well as living in an isolated environment and how many people given these circumstances turn to metal, and some further into extreme metal for some sort of salvation. While it comes across that Hera is honouring the loss of her brother but she also finds herself and her voice, all while being what can be considered as a real pain in the arse to her grieving parents. It's presented in a very simplistic and effective way, nothing flashy or over the top so the message of the film can be truly observed. As much as it is about metal music it's as much about how people react to things more than anything else.
I can relate to growing up in a small town, where you feel like you don't really fit in and then your music taste separates you more from everyone else. Despite this, when Hera presents her music to the people of the village there is a new understanding and that is what I love about this film. The realisation from other people that you do what you do to make you happy as well as deal with your everyday and bigger problems. When Hera discovers black metal through a news broadcast, it resonated with the way that I found black metal. I was looking for something that could really rip out and rearrange my emotions while firing my imagination and I can see that this feeling is what Hera feels.
Overall, I think it's a beautiful film that delves deep into some pretty raw emotions and for me reinforces the idea of what black metal is. It is terrifying for those who aren't used to it but once you find the meaning behind it it all becomes clear. If you look at the film as a personal story of people and grief, given how it shows these strong and raw emotions being processed, I encourage everyone to watch Málmhaus. It's beautifully made and listening to Icelandic (the closest we'll get to old norse in the modern era) is like listening to an ever changing melody for an hour and a half.
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