Until the Light Takes Us
Directed by Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell
UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US tells the story of black metal. Part music scene and part cultural uprising, black metal rose to worldwide notoriety in the mid-nineties when a rash of suicides, murders, and church burnings accompanied the explosive artistic growth and output of a music scene that would forever redefine what heavy metal is and what it stands for to other musicians, artists and music fans world-wide. Until The Light Takes Us goes behind the highly sensationalized media reports of "Satanists running amok in Europe" to examine the complex and largely misunderstood principles and beliefs that led to this rebellion against both Christianity and modern culture.
The story of black metal; go behind the highly sensationalized media reports of "Satanists running amok in Europe" to examine the complex and largely misunderstood principles and beliefs that led to this rebellion against both Christianity and modern culture.
Cast: Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell, Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes, Jan Axel “Hellhammer” Blomberg, Kjetil “Frost” Haraldstad, Harmony Korine
Member Reviews
The try-hard goes to 11. The payoff goes to 3. Read the Wikipedia accounts, and spare yourself 90 minutes of self-importance and fawning adoration of emotionally stunted children and neo-nazis.
One of the best black metal documentaries. Great atmosphere to it as well. It remains unbiased and presents the material very well.
Truly fascinating. I was blown away.
I lasted 15 minutes and then I realized I didn't care a whit about these people or this subject.
There's a lot more coverage of the history of black metal nowadays, but this documentary blew the doors open. Aites and Ewell created something really special here: a raw look at all angles of the violent and turbulent story of these musicians. Yes, it goes into the arson and murders; it also explores the customs and culture of Norway that led to them, as well as the fetishization of black metal aesthetics in modern art, and where these musicians are now. If you are interested in either music or true crime, this is a must-watch. And I second Aerosubtle's recommendation for the Last Podcast on the Left series on Norwegian Black Metal, if you're looking for a deeper dive. Also, the book Lords of Chaos (NOT the 2018 movie).