After watching The Human Centipede the other day, I really needed something to cleanse the palate and make me want to keep on doing this. That’s where this New Zealand made horror comedy comes in. Even if the movie didn’t live up to the rating it was getting on Netflix, I still figured that a goofy horror movie about heavy metal bringing about the end of the world would be good for a laugh. Turns out, the movie has a lot more to offer than I originally thought it might and ends up exceeding expectations in both the comedy and the horror aspects.

The movie follows Brodie, a metal loving outsider that has to move in with his ultra-Christian relatives when his meth-head mother is thrown in jail. He befriends the other losers at his school and then meets a fellow metalhead at the local record store. They come into possession of a weird piece of music and decide to use it for their metal band. Turns out the music is a black hymn to the king of demons and suddenly he and all his friends are fighting for their lives as the town gets possessed by demonic forces. In the mix is a cult that is trying to take the demon’s power for their own. With only their wits, the power of heavy metal, and several sharp instruments; it’s up to these losers to stop the end of the world.

I was actually really surprised at how good the blend of comedy and horror worked in this. It really felt like an Evil Dead 2 type movie where the comedy is found in the over-the-top ridiculousness of the situation and the characters reactions to it. The horror of the demon possessed isn’t going to be anything to give you nightmares or anything but the effects are very well done and the gore is definitely abundant. The main characters get more character development than you would expect from something called Deathgasm with at least three of them having a full arc of self-discovery in the face of adversity. So, you know, go them.

I especially like the relationship between the two main characters, Brodie and Zakk. Both of them are metal heads and have more in common than any of the other people in the movie. However, the very feelings of isolation and powerlessness that make them love to escape into metal are what make them be at odds. Zakk cares more about himself than anything else and doesn’t really understand loyalty and putting others first until the end of the movie. With Brodie, he doesn’t really have a backbone and can’t go after what he wants which is what causes the mess with playing the song in the first place. The main love interest, Medina, is great because she has much more agency than just being a prize to fight over. Even when she starts getting into metal, she does it because she genuinely enjoys the music rather than just trying to please the other boys.

I have to say, this was a super fun and enjoyable movie. Definitely check this one out and should be even better if you are into metal as well. I give the movie a solid 4.5 out of 5.

Favorite thing in the movie: When told that the demon will come at “The Devil’s Hour” of 3 AM, Zakk responds with: “3 AM Pacific or Eastern time? Do demons recognize daylight savings?”

Least favorite thing: We don’t find out what the aftermath is of a town overrun by the demon possessed. Like a lot of people die and shit blows up but the last scene is just Brodie and Medina hanging out like nothing has happened.