The Story:
Two aspiring Eurovision singers Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdóttir (Rachel McAdams) are given the chance to represent their hometown of Iceland in the annual Eurovision Song Contest.
Watch it if you:
Are a fan of Will Ferrell films (Anchorman, Blades of Glory and Talladega Nights, in particular). His signature brand of humor is stamped almost everywhere throughout the film. Watch it if you are, of course, a stan of the Eurovision Song Contest. The cameos alone will make you cheer from the sidelines.
What I think:
I’ve always thought of Will Ferrell’s films as mixed bags, mainly because his comedies are either a hit or miss. Admittedly, I’m not a follower of the Eurovision Song Contest itself but I know how campy the contest could be. And ABBA came through because of it so I had to catch what the fever was about, and was it a fun ride. Also, who doesn’t love ABBA?
The film’s greatest assets would have to be Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, and the strong cameos. It isn’t enough that Pierce Brosnan was on there, Demi Lovato and Dan Stevens too – but the most heartwarming ones were the Eurovision Song Contest participants also, like Conchita Wurst, for one whose real-life iconic performance landed her in the song contest’s winners’ circle.
It was a great tribute especially for fans of the contest and a fun two-hour watch to boot. I especially liked the scene in Alexander Lemtov’s (Dan Stevens) party when Lars and Sigrit, along with the past Eurovision song contestants, sang a seamless mashup of Cher, ABBA and Celine Dion, to name a few. Although some parts dragged on, its speed factor was outrun by laugh-out-loud scenes, stirring performances, and that ridiculous comedic cherry on top.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is now streaming on Netflix. Watch it here.
