Yay or Nay: Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix Film)

So I legitimately thought that this movie would tank and it would either make fun of the Eurovision Song Contest (of which I know about and have watched), or it would be a stupid comedy (and I mean, hey, I love Will Ferrell— I freaking love Blades of Glory, Elf, and Talladega Nights, its a guilty pleasure of mine but let’s be honest, he’s made stupid comedies before). 

Eurovision: Story of the Fire Saga is not a stupid comedy though. It’s a funny, well-thought-out tribute to the Eurovision Song Contest, and in general, to Iceland, in my humble opinion. And I couldn’t get enough of the soundtrack of the movie, which is absolutely amazing and features cameos of real-life past Eurovision winners or contestants. 

So, let’s get right into it! This is my review of Eurovision: Story of the Fire Saga. 

The Story

The story is rather simple. In the small town of Husavik, Iceland, Lars Ericksson and his best friend Sigrit make amateur music under the name “Fire Saga”, and much to the dismay of his father, Lars has one big dream: to win the Eurovision Song Contest. 

In a string of onstage mishaps, some sabotage, and a little help from some elves, Fire Saga ends up representing Iceland in Eurovision—where the bond between the two is tested. 

It’s a simple story, but what shines here is it allows for this movie to be very character-driven, which as I’ll say, is what is probably the most shining part of this movie. Will Ferrell is great—but outshined by the rest of the cast: Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, and Demi Lovato, to name a few!

My Thoughts

The acting. My God, I love the acting. The comedy is actually good, it’s funny, and that’s partially because of the actor’s talent and timing. Rachel McAdams is amazing as Sigrit, and she’s not your typical “voice of reason” in this movie. She’s just as funny, if not more so than Will Ferrell. They have amazing chemistry as a funny duo, and her character arch in the movie is one of my favourites. Hers and Dan Stevens as Alexander Lemtov, the Russian contestant, both steal the show. While he comes off as your typical “antagonist” in the movie he is not. I can promise you he has more depth and development than I’ve seen in a bit, and he also has a great sense of humor. I literally was unprepared for this, as I was not expecting these roles to steal the show, nor have I see either actor in comedies before, so this was very refreshing to watch. Do not go in thinking this is your typical shitty comedy movie, because it is very well-scripted and well-acted, and I am only touching on the tip of the iceberg. 

The story itself lends it to introduce the viewer to a lot of Icelandic lore as well as some breathtaking Icelandic sites (visually) as well as culture. They didn’t water it down, or essentially try to make fun of the people— it was a tribute, and very nicely done at that. The same can be said for the Eurovision Song Contest in general, and how it was portrayed as it’s coming from a predominantly American perspective. They do a really good job representing the acts, the glamour of it, and it’s all done accurately and with a sense of good humour, which you can enjoy. And you’ll learn a bit about the Eurovision Song Contest—if you don’t know about it already! 

My Rating 

This is on Netflix right now so definitely give it a watch! You’ll have a good time singing—and laughing at this movie’s hilarity and clever nature! 

My Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars)

~Meghan