Heavier Trip Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Heavier Trip Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 13, 2025

2018’s “Heavy Trip” was a big surprise. The Scandinavian comedy examined the panicked ways of a black metal band trying to fake it until they make it, hoping to share their “symphonic, post-apocalyptic, reindeer-grinding, Christ-abusing, extreme war pagan, Fennoscandian metal” sound with the world, only to find all kinds of goofy roadblocks to exposure. Co-writers/directors Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren certainly know their stuff when it comes to the strange world of this music genre, and they understand the value of silliness, making one of the best pictures of its release year. Some time has passed, but the men of Impaled Rektum are back in “Heavier Trip,” and the helmers endeavor to sustain the same speed of humor and music in the sequel. It’s a mostly successful effort from Laatio and Vidgren, who set up another wild journey for the characters, landing sizable laughs and knowing references for the follow-up adventure.

After causing quite a bit of trouble, the members of Impaled Rektum are now locked away in an island prison. Singer Turo (Johannes Holopainen), drummer Oula (Chike Ohanwe), guitarist Lotvonen (Samuli Jaskio), and bassist Xytrax (Max Ovaska) are handling their new reality without being able to indulge in black metal, but opportunity arrives with a visit from music manager Fisto (Anatole Taubman), who’s booking acts for the Wacken music festival in Germany. Also squeezing the group is the failing health of Lotvonen’s father, putting the family farm in financial trouble. Planning their escape, Impaled Rektum successfully get themselves off the island, but they’re now pursued by Dokken (Helen Vikstvedt), a prison guard with a grudge. Hoping to play the big show and collect a payday, the band is quickly confronted by the reality of Fisto’s managerial ways, as he tries to alter the group’s look and sound, pushing Turo to be a star while Xytrax demands to stick to metal integrity.

Impaled Rektum considers themselves “the most dangerous band in the world,” but this global reach is severely limited in prison. Allowed to pick up instruments, the group is forced to play pleasant pop for the inmates while Dokken keeps close watch of the men, who will take any chance they get to flex their death metal muscles. Lotvonen is hit by family problems he can’t fix behind bars, and Fisto’s arrival supplies a launching point for “Heavier Trip,” giving the foursome a clear financial goal to reach to save the farm, while a final destination is set for a German music festival. It’s clean screenwriting from Laatio and Vidgren, but the path to success isn’t easy, arranging another road trip for Impaled Rektum as they attempt to sneak into Germany.

Shenanigans are common in “Heavier Trip,” which slips into slapstick at times, but largely remains good-naturedly silly, following the band as they sneak into a tour bus owned by metal gods Bloodmotor, fronted by Rob (David Bredin), a singer possessing an impossibly low voice, requiring a pipe to help understand him. Trouble with on-stage activity accidentally allows Turo to sing with Bloodmotor, launching a subplot concerning Fisto’s sneaky managerial style, working to transform the frontman into a star, pushing for compromises, which is an alien experience for Impaled Rektum. “Heavier Trip” also follows Xytrax on a journey of awareness, as he recognizes a wider world of metal, confronted by the wonders of “Japanese kawaii metal band” Babymetal, challenging his quest to maintain complete control and integrity. Dokken is a persistent foe, keeping the band members on the run, leading to several confrontations, including one inside a small rock museum that implores visitors to refrain from sucking the fingers on Dave Mustaine’s hand cast. This doesn’t stop Megadeth superfan Lotvonen from an oral connection to the master shredder.

Heavier Trip Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Heavier Trip" delivers excellent detail throughout the viewing experience. A full sense of skin particulars is provided, along with bodily harm as the characters are physically threatened. Ornate metal costuming is pleasingly fibrous. Exteriors are deep, capturing the remoteness of some areas, while the bigness of the musical festival is preserved. Interiors are textured and dimensional. Colors are defined, including the distinct black and white appearance of Xytrax, and more metal hues deliver as intended, including the rainbow look of Babymetal. Lighting designs are distinct, and greenery is plentiful. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory.

Heavier Trip Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix deals with the rough sounds of heavy metal, and musical moods are nicely supported here. There's fullness to soundtrack selections, which fill the surrounds and provide a decently driving low-end presence. Instrumentation is sharp and vocals are crisp. Dialogue exchanges are defined, handling accents and languages with precision. Atmospherics are appreciable, exploring cavernous spaces and community bustle. Sound effects are clear.

Heavier Trip Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Packaging lists "Actor Footage From Set," but this supplemental offering doesn't appear to be included on the Blu-ray.

• Behind the Scenes (23:26, HD) is an interesting overview of the production experience, watching the cast and crew of "Heavier Trip" prepare for work at a range of locations, including the extremely muddy fields at the Wacken Festival. The professionals also deal with musical moods in numerous buildings, handle with a few fire stunts, and a birthday greeting is presented to a lucky member of the crew. Unfortunately, all of this footage has been recorded in "vertical" mode on a smartphone, leaving the viewing experience slightly underwhelming on a television.

• "Babymetal Talks 'Heavier Trip'" (3:27, HD) is a short visit with the Japanese band, who offer highly rehearsed answers concerning their experience making the sequel, and they're "forced" to pick their favorite director on the project. The musicians are certainly charming, working to sell their participation with a bright spirit.

• "Johannes All By Himself in Austin, TX" (2:56, HD) follows actor Johannes Holopainen, who travels all the way to the Fantastic Fest film festival on his own, learning to have some fun as a solo act around a movie theater before reuniting with his "Heavier Trip" castmates. Created for social media distribution, the clips are presented in "vertical" mode.

• Image Gallery (3:20) collects BTS snaps, publicity shots, and film stills.

• And Teaser Trailer #1 (:18, HD), Teaser Trailer #2 (:43, HD), and a Theatrical Trailer (2:06, HD) are included.

Heavier Trip Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Heavier Trip" works to separate Impaled Rektum for a more varied dramatic odyssey, giving band members arcs to manage and powers to control, as Oula loses himself when riled up, going black-eyed and Hulk-ed out. The helmers strive to maintain a steady rhythm of mischief and metal references for the film, though develops with Fisto tend to drag the movie down some as a villain of sorts is defined. Spirit does remain in "Heavier Trip," which matches the original endeavor in imaginative weirdness and commitment from the cast, and the black metal atmosphere is perhaps even more present, especially when focusing on Rob. The overall feature isn't quite as thrilling as the original offering, but it comes close as Laatio and Vidgren maintain their madness with the material and deepen their love for the music genre.