'Montage of Heck,' a Haunting Telling of Kurt Cobain's Life

"Everything happens for a reason. Kurt had to be born. It was a must."

So says Wendy Cobain, the late Nirvana mastermind's mother, in the brand-new documentary, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. Over the course of more than two hours, director Brett Morgen weaves together a fascinating tale with the help of friends and family; though, the biggest star of the film is Cobain himself. Thanks to a vast archive of words, pictures and sounds, Cobain is brought back to life throughout the documentary.

Which, to say the least, is haunting. While fans no doubt feel like they already know Cobain intimately, Montage of Heck brings to light so many vivid details that have remained boxed up for decades. Before any mention of Nirvana, viewers learn -- in grave detail -- that Cobain's childhood was built around embarrassment; his dad ridiculed and shamed him; his parents divorced at a time when people didn't get divorced.

Even with that sort of upbringing, Cobain's mom called him a magnet, thanks in part to him being the first grandson on both sides of the family: "People just came to him."

As is well-documented, that attention didn't necessarily yield the most positive results in Cobain's life. There's a fascinating animated journey that details Kurt turning to weed and becoming friends with "Trevor," a kid he hated.

From Trevor and weed, viewers get an uncomfortable account of Cobain's first attempt at sex with a "quiet and illiterate" girl who he stole booze from. And after that unsuccessful adventure, Cobain tried to kill himself by laying down on railroad tracks. But, as fate would have it at that moment, he was on the wrong track.

The underlying theme for much of Montage of Heck is the fact that Cobain desired normalcy in his life, but he never had it ... and even if it came near him, he'd fight it. That was one of the only constants in his life.

Heroin. Courtney Love. Nirvana. Cobain's life is on full display with Montage of Heck. While there are hundreds of reviews out there that detail every second of the documentary, it truly needs to be viewed and consumed from the original source.

Trust us: Words will not do it justice. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck might just be the single greatest piece of history on the late rock and roll icon that we will ever receive.