One of the best things about watching films is that sometimes you don’t know what you are getting into. If you go into it knowing very little about it, or as in this case scanning over the description without really reading it, you might just end up being surprised. Hex is one of those documentaries. You really need to look a little closer at it at before jumping into it, because what appears on the surface is not what it is truly about.

Hex is the story of three women who decide to form a coven and burst into Norway’s male-dominated black metal scene. It follows Nikoline, Victoria, and Johanna’s three-year transformation into the band Witch Club Satan. Even though the trio has no musical talent, including knowing how to play any instruments, they somehow explode onto the scene, attracting attention worldwide for their screeching sound. They eventually find themselves invited to perform on the biggest stages across Norway. Is it dark magic that helped them succeed, or did they find a niche market for their sound? That’s for you to decide.

Hex is not a film for everyone. Like all black metal, the lyrics are controversial and dark. On one hand they promote female freedom to speak about their own challenges, but on the other they feel like they are caving to societal pressures becoming what everyone expects them to be.

In the end Hex is a film about friendship, and fighting against what society expects of us, while doing what you want to do.  While the film is interesting on a basic level, if you don’t like black metal, it might be tough digging through the screaming to get to the message.

The filmmaker gave Hot Docs permission to publish this photo.