Among the many events the Coronavirus has robbed us of in 2020 is famous annual song contest Eurovision, a colourful collection of performances from representatives of each country in Europe; all vying for fame and glory, with the winning country hosting the following year’s celebration. Given that the 2020 competition has been cancelled for the first time in 64 years, it seems almost too good to be true that Netflix had been working on a Eurovision comedy written by and starring Will Ferrell – the very literally titled Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Unlike his more recent starring vehicles like Holmes and Watson and Daddy’s Home however, Eurovision (if you think I’m typing the full name out every time, you’re crazy) is something of a return to form for Ferrell, an overly long yet frequently hilarious look at an aspiring Icelandic singing duo who dream of winning the famed contest. It may drag in sections and get overly corny at times but the majority of jokes hit like a freight train and Ferrell shares the laughs with a pair of excellent supporting turns from Rachel McAdams and Dan Stevens.
Ferrell stars as Icelandic native Lars Erikssong, a 40-something dreamer who lives in the picturesque village of Husavik with father Erick (Pierce Brosnan). Together with childhood friend and potential lover Sigrit Ericksdottir (Rachel McAdams) the pair are Fire Saga, a folk duo who yearn for stardom but who have found themselves confined to busting out old folk songs (like “Ja Ja Ding Dong”, an absolute banger) at local bars. Each year, Lars unsuccessfully submits a Fire Saga song for admission to Eurovision until (you guessed it), their submission is accepted through sheer luck and they are thrust into round after round of competition to vie for the title of Eurovision champion. In order to prove their critics wrong and take home the title, Fire Saga must deal with government conspiracies, their own tenuous internal dynamic as well as numerous devious competitors, including flamboyant Russian contestant Alexander Lemtov (Dan Stevens) – all of which threaten to tear the duo apart before they can realise their dream.
It’s not that Eurovision is a particularly different role for Ferrell. It isn’t. He’s playing an over the top character similar to almost all of his other roles, but what might be helping in this particular scenario is the fact that Ferrell himself has written the script, alongside Andrew Steele. Most of Ferrell’s great comedies – Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers – have been written by the man himself and he clearly reserves the best material for his own starring roles. Whilst Eurovision certainly isn’t on the level of those comedies, (I’d liken it more to a Blades of Glory in scope and quality), it does deliver enough consistent gags to win you over. Ferrell’s Lars toes the line at times of being downright annoying but he always manages to pull it back just before you get truly sick of him with a witty one-liner. Unlike some of his bigger, more commercial comedies, there are quite a few subtle jokes here that will fly past you if you aren’t paying attention. The experience is made all the more richer if you are even somewhat familiar with the Eurovision contest’s many varied and, in some cases, completely insane artists and songs which the movie definitely leans into. A particular standout – the Fire Saga song “Volcano Man” – had me howling on the floor with laughter from the sheer absurdity of it and the fact that it could actually pass for a half decent entry in real life. Apart from the contest itself, Ferrell and company play a lot with European stereotypes and culture, with Iceland the brunt of many of these. Some are hokey and never really catch on, like the constant references to elves and Icelandic people’s belief in them, whilst others – like the aforementioned “Ja Ja Ding Dong” – are an absolute winner and will have you quoting and singing along for days after. Despite the constant barrage of jokes, the pacing is all over the shop and drags in the middle quite a bit. The film is just over two hours and you feel every second of it, with a few chunks going without more than a chuckle-worthy moment at worst. The ratio still manages to lean towards more funny moments than not but be warned: there will be times you will be checking your watch.
Outside of Ferrell are a pair of performances that manage to surpass the man himself at times, from two of the unlikeliest of actors – The Notebook star Rachel McAdams and Dan Stevens. Stevens may be a relatively new find to most audiences, having cut his teeth on Downton Abbey before moving across to more gritty action in the excellent thriller The Guest and more recently as the Beast himself in Disney’s live action version of Beauty and the Beast. Eurovision shows him in a completely different light and proves that the man has some serious comedy chops. He completely owns his scenes as the extravagant Russian competitor Alexander Lemtov, who takes a particular shine to Rachel McAdams’ Sigrit. It’s such a hammy, over-the-top performance that is almost too ridiculous to take seriously but Stevens has so much raw charisma and talent that watching him surrounded by shirtless men in leather pants climbing on top of him while he belts out his hit song “Lion Lover” with a whip in his mouth is both absolutely hilarious and perfectly believable for this character. It’s a character that is hard to explain and almost has to be seen to be believed but if you haven’t guessed that this is a solid recommendation by now then know that it is. It’s hilarious. Similarly Rachel McAdams, fresh off a great turn in 2018’s Game Night, gets to go even whackier here as Ferrell’s partner in crime Sigrit. She doesn’t get as many chances to shine here as Ferrell and she unfortunately gets saddled with the silly Elf storyline but when she does get her moments she completely owns them, presenting Sigrit as an idiot at times, but one with genuinely good intentions and affection towards Lars. Her storyline is the heart of the film and goes beyond the jokes, giving an emotional aspect for the audience to latch onto and she plays it well, never delving into the dirty tricks of Lemtov or Lars as she tries to win the contest through sheer artistry and love for music.
Will Ferrell comedies have largely been misfire after misfire in recent years but Eurovision marks a return to glory for the superstar, giving you enough laughs and emotional moments to carry you through its uneven, somewhat sappy story. With solid support from Rachel McAdams and a comedy-star making performance from Dan Stevens, this is an easy, enjoyable watch to laugh away some of the time in this pandemic ridden world. Whilst it may not replace Eurovision, it will give you just about the next best thing: all the pageantry and over the top performances, with some ridiculously catchy songs to boot. I know I’ll be singing “Volcano Man” in my head for weeks to come.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga stars Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan & Dan Stevens – Streaming on Netflix now.