Before Cro-Mags carved NYHC into the concrete, Harley Flanagan was already living harder than most of us ever will. Raised by a Warhol Factory “it girl” and drumming in punk bands by age 11, Flanagan wasn’t just part of the scene—he was the scene. Stealing food to survive, squatting in Alphabet City, and trading fists long before he’d ever trade verses, Harley lived like a feral prophet of New York’s Lower East Side.
Wired for Chaos, the new feature-length documentary from Emmy and Peabody Award-winner Rex Miller (Citizen Ashe), tells Harley’s story in all its bruised, blistered glory. But this isn’t just a punk doc. It’s a survival story, a redemption arc, and a hardcore history lesson that cuts through myth and dives straight into the man.
The exclusive clip we’re premiering today gives a glimpse into the unfiltered intensity of Harley’s world—his rise, his demons, and his refusal to be erased. It’s raw. It’s loud. And it’s very, very real.
With a cast of counterculture legends—Flea, Henry Rollins, Ice T, Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris, Glenn Danzig, and one of Anthony Bourdain’s final interviews—Wired for Chaos paints a picture that’s far bigger than hardcore. It’s about pain, survival, and reinvention. From the pits of CBGB to the mats of Renzo Gracie’s gym, Harley has always fought for something: his place, his people, his peace.
As the ferocious frontman of Cro-Mags, he helped define what NYHC would become: unrelenting, confrontational, and deeply rooted in the chaos of its environment. But Wired for Chaos pushes past the legend to show the man—scarred, introspective, raising a family and still swinging. The film doesn’t flinch from the dark chapters, but it doesn’t stop there either.
Catch it on the big screen—where it belongs.
In select theaters now:
June 26 — Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque at Los Feliz 3
June 27-July 3 — Los Angeles, CA — Laemmle Glendale
June 29 — San Francisco, CA — Roxie Cinema
June 29 — Concord, CA — Brenden Theatres
June 29-July 1 — Las Vegas, NV — Brenden Theatres
June 30 — Seattle, WA — Grand Illusion Cinema
July 1 — Tempe, AZ — Harkins Theatre Tempe Marketplace 16
July 2 — Austin, TX — Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
July 5 — Philadelphia, PA — PhilaMOCA
July 9 — Minneapolis, MN — Trylon Cinema
July 11 — Chicago, IL — Patio Theater
July 17 — Somerville, MA — Somerville Theatre
For more information: www.wiredforchaos.com.
The post Exclusive Clip Premiere: Wired for Chaos – The Untamed Life of Harley Flanagan appeared first on Decibel Magazine.