Unhinged was the first word that came to mind when viewing Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock ‘n’ Roll, a British rock mockumentary (rockumentary?) that very much submits to a level of madness that is likely to prove incredibly divisive.
Writer/director Mitchell Tolliday and co-writer Neil Rickatson adopt a more-is-more type mentality across the film’s chaotic 95 minutes, where subtlety has been decided as an overrated temperament. Satirical with a slasher edge, Tolliday’s film is knowingly ridiculous, and the bigness of its performances and lower-ended budget play into a certain ambition that can’t help but be admired, even if what transpires on screen won’t prove of worth to all who dare.
An anthology-like narrative is the approach here, with each chapter more deranged and bloody than the last, largely connected through the appearance of deceased punk rocker Richard O’Keefe (Simon Callow), who is overseeing the lunacy from beyond the grave. The idea of a late musician haunting a band in the chase of success could have made way for a film all on its own, but it’s less of a developed notion, with Callow – clearly enjoying himself – more just acting as a commentator.
The band wanting to make it in rock ‘n’ roll is Stack of Corpses (which would have made a fitting film title), a punk metal outfit who can never seem to exist peacefully in any given situation; at least not in the hands of Tolliday. If their audition for a female keyboardist isn’t being overthrown by a psychotic rival, or their band manager isn’t being murdered over unpaid software, it’s their lead singer dying from auto-asphyxiation and a robbery of an unfinished song distracting them from actually making it in a literal cutthroat industry.
With the film aiming for an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink personality, it breaking itself apart with a series of chapters is a good idea in theory, but it doesn’t necessarily assist the film with its cohesive nature; it almost comes off like a sketch comedy series more than a movie in any manner. And with that sketch comedy vibe, one has to be an appreciator of the slapstick variety to really appreciate the laughs Tolliday and Rickatson are going for.
It’s a mixed bag of a film, with most performances going for broke, but its nominal aesthetic and penchant for (mostly) practical gore give it a certain midnight movie appeal. A wild, crass romp of an outing, Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock ‘n’ Roll will rock for some and flop for others, but it makes it on stage presence felt either way.
TWO AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock ‘n’ Roll is now available to rent or buy on digital platforms Prime Video and YouTube.
