Wired for Chaos explores the life of Harley Flanagan and the world of the early New York hardcore scene.

A documentary has been made about Harley Flanagan, founder of Cro-Mags and one of the defining figures of the New York hardcore scene. Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos was directed by Rex Miller and released in 2024.
The film follows Harley Flanagan's life from his childhood in the Bronx to the founding of Cro-Mags and his role within the hardcore movement. It also explores how he became part of the Lower East Side scene in the late seventies and early eighties, where punk, drugs, violence and street survival shaped everyday life.

Flanagan first appeared on the New York punk scene as a child, playing drums for The Stimulators at the age of eleven before later becoming known as the frontman of Cro-Mags. Wired for Chaos is not only about the band's history, but also about the childhood trauma, neglect, violence and addiction that influenced his life.

Alongside archival footage from New York, the documentary features interviews with several well-known musicians and figures from the original scene, including Flea, Henry Rollins, Ice-T, Roger Miret, Keith Morris and members of Bad Brains. Through these memories, the film paints a vivid picture of the darker side of New York's early punk and hardcore culture.

Wired for Chaos premiered at the Doc NYC festival in November 2024 and later screened at the Slamdance Film Festival. Its theatrical release in the United States followed in June 2025.

Critics mainly praised the film's raw tone and personal perspective. Rather than functioning as a traditional music documentary, Wired for Chaos works more as an intimate portrait that reveals the darker realities behind the early New York hardcore scene.