20 years ago: ‘Metallica: Some Kind of Monster’ was a rock documentary unlike any other

In Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s 2004 doc, the world learned a surprising amount about Metallica, their inner life, and their therapist.

Shortly after the turn of the millennium, the members of Metallica got together with filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky — who they had gotten to know when their acclaimed Paradise Lost series had touched on the West Memphis Three’s Metallica fandom — to produce a making-of documentary about their next album. 

But as is often the case with the best nonfiction films, things didn’t turn out as planned. It also showed Metallica in a light they’d never been seen in before, displaying a vulnerability in heavy metal rock stars that was eye-opening and rare to see at the time.

Some Kind of Monster, at two hours and 20 minutes, is much longer than most theatrically released music documentaries. It also lasted nearly three years, including an uncommonly eventful period in the group's history. And while it was fascinating to see the process, it covered the making of one of Metallica’s worst albums, “St. Anger.” At least that is the opinion of Lars’ retired tennis pro dad, Torben, who tells his son that the new music is bad in one of the most memorable scenes.