An Interesting But Outrageous Love Letter to Metalheads Out There
Director: Juuso Laatio, Jukka Vidgren
Genre: Comedy, Music, Adventure
Language: Finnish
Cast:
Johannes Holopainen as Turo
Minka Kuustonen as Miia
Max Ovaska as Pasi
Antti Heikkinen as Jynkky
Ville Tiihonen as Lotvonen
Introduction: A Metalhead’s Dream (or Nightmare?)
Heavy Trip (Hevi reissu in Finnish) is an uproariously humorous tale of the underdogs following their dreams. It follows a group of Finnish misfits, Heavy Trip sets itself apart by centering the story around their self-proclaimed band, Impaled Rethum, as they go aboard the journey of fulfilling their dream of performing at the largest heavy metal festival in Norway, completely shattering several stereotypes along the way. For those who are passionate about chasing something so debately sensical, this film is a ‘must watch’. It is filled with deadpan humor that is complemented by absurd situations and a lot of heart.
Plot Summary: From the Basement to the Big Stage
Turo (Johannes Holopainen) is a socially awkward young man who lives in a sleepy Finnish village, the only excursion from his life is when he jams with his three best friends in the basement of his house. The problem? They haven’t performed in front of a single audience for twelve years of playing together.
The roster includes:
🎸 Turo – the soft-spoken head of vocals who manages all the pitches, as well as the goofiest member.
🎸 Pasi – the historian on metal who takes the genre in too great detail, like an obsessive zealot.
🎸 Lotvonen – the ex-reindeer slaughterer who took up the guitar and began writing songs.
🎸 Jynkky – an uncompromising, unstoppable, fierce spirit of the band who plays the drums.
Impaled Rektum bear no fruits in their attempts to sustain themselves in an unshakable gig industry, but an inadvertent encounter with a Norwegian festival promoter puts everything into motion. The group received an opportunity to perform at Norway’s most celebrated metal festival.
Out of nowhere, their mundane routine is transformed with an epic road trip. They hijack a van, “borrow” their town’s deceased lead guitarist (yes, you read that right), are mistaken for terrorists, and even trigger an international dispute. All of this begs the question –
Can these four incompetent outsiders show that they can handle rocking out on the stage?
What makes Heavy Trip Different
🎸 An Ode to Metal Culture
Unlike most comedies that take poke heavy metal enthusiasts, Heavy Metal is produced by metalheads for metalheads. It meticulously captures metal subculture; full of inside jokes, band dynamics that will make you laugh, and references to Rick’s mighty metal bands. If you were ever in a band, or used to obsess over one, you will understand the joy, despair and brotherhood that comes with being in Impaled Rektum.
😂 Over the Top Madness Alongside Dry Finnish Humor
As most of us know, Finnish people are known for their subtle yet dark sense of humor in their films, and Heavy Trip does not shun away from it. It kicks off a bit slow with an awkward slice of life comedy but transforms into utter non sense when the band embarks on their crazy journey – Viking funerals, border crossing accidents and an unwanted police chase.
🖤 A Surprising Heartwarming Underdog Story Underdog Story
“Overall, Heavy Trip reflects a person’s determination to chase dreams regardless of how they are treated by society. Turo, at the beginning, lacks self-esteem and feels that he is judged and looked down upon by the people of the small town. But he comes to understand that as sad as it may seem, there is something worse than embarrassing yourself, that is… never trying life at all.”
Memorable Moments and Scenes
🔥 After years stuck covering awesome band songs, they finally write their own hateful colt of magnificence song: “Fertilizer of the Undead” (yes, it’s about zombies and cow manure).
🔥 Let’s just say that their dead lead guitarist almost gets the send-off he deserves, and the Viking Funeral Gone Wrong.
🔥 When trying to sneak into Norway, the band is mistaken for heavily armed terrorists or “The Border Incident.” And chaos ensues.
✨ The Festival Performance – They have worked hard and finally the band gets an opportunity to showcase their skills to a real life audience. The big question is, will they break under pressure or will they pull off an epic performance?
Critical Reception & Cult Status
Heavy Trip was successful on multiple fronts as it catered to the taste of both metal and comedy enthusiasts. It received applause for its unique humor, amazing soundtrack and emotional plot at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival. Even though it didn’t get the attention of a wide audience, it earned its status as a cult film favorite, especially in the heavy metal community.
What Critics Said
“A joyous, laugh out loud road trip comedy with a metal heart” — Slash Film
“Indie comedy This Is Spinal Tap meets Wayne’s World, but Finnish and with more reindeers.” – Indie Wire
“A love letter to underdogs everywhere, regardless of their love for metal These guys are hard not to cheer for.”– The PlayList
Who Should Watch Heavy Trip?
✔ Metalheads And Rock Fans – Kids of Bodom, Slayer and Iron Maiden fans will definitely enjoy the plethora of references this movie has to offer.
Comedy Lovers – For those with zero knowledge of metal, the feature’s comic elements and dull facial expressions make it enjoyable to watch.
Underdog Story Supporters – This is similar to School of Rock or Eddie the Eagle, which are all about having the heart, courage, and persistence to tackle challenges head on and be a success.
People Who Enjoy A Good Road Trip – The ridiculous journey to the festival is half the fun!
Heavy Trip is an underrated flick that needs to get the spotlight. With its outrageous comical gimmicks, unexpected touching moments, and extreme bungling, it deserves recognition as one of the top music focused comedies in the past few years. If you are looking for a great feel good movie to watch, you will not regret this trip.