Sinister Ball

I watched Metallica: Some Kind of Monster again last week. Every time I take another look at the movie, I expect to lose enthusiasm for it. I suspect that part of me still can’t believe that a backstage documentary about a band I don’t really care for could possibly be this good. And every time I am reminded — yes, it really is that good.

If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend it. It’s one of the funniest, most human, most emotionally naked and harrowing movies of the past decade, a superb examination of the toxic side of creative collaboration, the difficulty of making relationships work over the long term, the impossibility of staying “real” in the face of overwhelming fame and success, the upsides and downsides of therapy.

And I promise you, you do not need to be invested in Metallica as a band to get into it. You just need to be open to the idea of empathizing with these guys, ridiculous warts and all.