Music

Will Ferrell’s Eurovision Movie Is Wholesome Chaos, And People Are Loving It

"I'm not saying that 'Ya Ya Ding Dong' is the song of our generation, but I'm also not saying it isn't."

by Jules LeFevre  29 June 2020
UROVISION SONG CONTEST: The Story of Fire Saga - Will Ferrell as Lars Erickssong, Rachel McAdams as Sigrit Ericksdottir. Credit Elizabeth Viggiano/NETFLIX © 2020

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Millions of sequinned hearts broke earlier this year upon hearing the news that the annual Eurovision Song Contest wouldn’t be going ahead due to the COVID-19. It was the first time the event — which began in 1956 — had been cancelled.

It was a tough blow for Eurovision tragics, but thankfully there’s something here to ease the pain. Over the weekend, Netflix dropped its new Will Ferrell-led feature Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga, and it is as ridiculous and chaotic as the competition itself.

Ferrell — who wrote the film alongside SNL writer Andrew Steele — and Rachel McAdams are Lars and Sigrit, also known as Fire Saga, a plucky band from Iceland who are desperate to make it to the hallowed wind machine-ridden Eurovision stage. Which they do, and hilarity ensues.

There was a bit of a worry from Eurovision enthusiasts that Ferrell’s take on the competition would be and out-and-out insult, but it’s not — it’s a warm, satirical, and loving representation of possibly one of the most bizarre events on the planet. Him and director David Dobkin also stuffed it with cameos from Eurovision stars, including Loreen, Alexander Ryback, Jamala, and Conchita Wurst.

Reviews from critics have been generally positive (The Atlantic labelled it Ferrell’s “best comedy in years“) and people are rapidly becoming obsessed, in particular with ‘Volcano Song’.

Rachel McAdams, who people are rightly pointing out has always been a wonderful comic actress and criminally underrated in films like Game Night, is being particularly called out for praise.

Douze points, as they say. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga  is now streaming on Netflix.