5 Times Metallica Were The Best Band In The World (& 5 Times They Were The Worst)
9. BEST: Through The Never
A 3D concert movie like nothing we had ever seen before, Metallica: Through the Never hit screens in late 2013, combining narrative spectacle with a blockbusting onstage show.
Hitting the ground running, the film follows young Metallica roadie Trip (Dane Dehaan) as he fights otherworldly forces on a surreal, drug-influenced journey through a deserted Vancouver, in order to recover a MacGuffin for the band. The call and response of the outside story and what is happening onstage creates a seamless picture that blends the fiction of the film with the reality of several live shows (here presented as one).
The no-holds-barred immersive nature of the film was further bolstered by an initial exclusive release in IMAX, followed by a limited standard theatre roll-out.
Unfortunately, cinemas (especially in the UK) did not bank on this one as a winner, and the feature got a very limited run, if it was even shown at all - and so took just $8 million against what ended up being a $32 million budget. This is a detriment to the fans more than anything, as Metallica bankrolled the film themselves as a passion project designed to connect with and deliver the best possible experience to their dedicated supporters.