Heavy Trip

_Quirky and amusing spoof of the metal subculture in northern Europe_ An extreme metal band in rural Finland gets word that they might play at a festival in Norway. But they first have to compose an original song and perform a local gig as a warm-up act. "Heavy Trip" (2018) is consistently entertaining, especially if you have experience in bands or the rock/metal scene. The Nordic locations are superb and it’s interesting catching references to specific bands, including t-shirts worn. I caught Overkill, Megadeth, Pantera, Death, Manowar, Testament, Arch Enemy, Children of Bodom and several black/death metal groups. I’m not sure when the events take place, but the band uses a cassette tape for their demo and black metal is the fad, so I’m thinking the 1990s. One band member is clearly wearing a NECROSHINE Overkill shirt and, since that particular album came out in 1999, I’m thinking the time frame is around that period. The film utilizes Nordic languages, I’m assuming Finnish (and maybe Swedish or Norwegian) with an occasional line in English. With no dubbing, English speakers will have to use the subtitles. I should add that a sequel debuted in 2024, called “Heavier Trip.” It runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in Finland (Taivalkoski, Sipoo, Kirkkonummi and Helsinki) and, I think, Norway. GRADE: B