The scores are in — and Iceland’s Lars & Sigrit are through to the fictional final of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. But how does the Eurovision movie fare in a competition against itself? Is it an eruption of emotion and laughter, or does it simply make us want to sink into the lava?

Well members of the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of musical unprofessionals — have now watched the two-hour film and are ready to slice and splice its various themes and tropes. From the stuffing of one’s trousers to the requests for just a bit more “Ja Ja Ding Dong”, spoilers are just around the corner. So if you haven’t watched the movie, you may want to stop reading now.

We are obviously not The Academy. We’re a house of Eurovision fans, so we’ve approached the Netflix comedy on our own terms. For some of us, watching Will Ferrell’s movie is less about critically comparing it to Golden Globe winners and more about seeing something that captures the spirit of the contest we love. But naturally others among us can and do have a different bar. In any case, here are our quick takes from around the world.

Eurovision fans review Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

🇳🇱 Esma: I’ve been a sceptic about this film from the start. I expected it to be a train wreck – an American mockumentary about our beloved Eurovision. But I have to admit that I was wrong. I actually really enjoyed watching it. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga couldn’t have been released at a more favourable time. While I’m still in deep mourning about the cancellation of ESC 2020 – and I know the entire fandom is with me – there’s finally some light on the horizon, and it’s lined with volcanic ash from Iceland! The film was so easy to watch, the songs were catchy, and I absolutely LIVED for the cameos and the meme-worthy scenes. It was one big party – just like Eurovision! Were there some factual inaccuracies? Yes. But I condone that for the sake of the bigger picture.

Score: 8

🇬🇧 Deban: An over-stretched chick-flick with poor wardrobe choices, bland humour and sexless romance, The Story Of Fire Saga isn’t a respectful tribute, but rather, a piss-take parody! And therein lies the problem. As a committed Eurovision fan who enjoys the medium of film, the end-product here leaves me wanting. The movie is way too long, and much of it is padded with hyperbolised facial expressions and painfully unfunny jokes. The characterisation is infantile at best and the Eurovision staging reads as cheap. Lots of holes in the script play alongside some grave omissions — resulting in a bizarre series of alternative facts. Yes, I love the cameos, and surprisingly, the soundtrack slays. However, I can’t help but conclude that Eurovision fans deserve better.

Score: 3

🇺🇸 🇬🇧 William: I love it when people dip it low, but then immediately take things higher. And so it goes in the Eurovision movie, where penis jokes and a bare-chested Russian lothario mingle merrily alongside stories of familial rejection and unrequited love. Far from mocking Eurovision, David Dobkin’s heartfelt film celebrates the contest as the musical Olympics and the biggest moment in many artists’ lives. We see it as a great unifier, bringing Icelanders together in pubs, and real-life Eurovision stars together at an unforgettable party. But we also see it as a vehicle for some simple but important truths, perhaps best summed up by the song “Husavik”: Sometimes you have to travel pretty far to realise that what matters most is already with you. This movie is a silly, wacky love-letter to Eurovision — and one written with the warmest of intentions. I’m excited to read it again!

Score: 8

🇦🇺 🇦🇲 Antranig: The only thing I didn’t like about the movie were the elements which didn’t stay true to Eurovision, like the revealing of individual country votes in the semi-final. If you put those little tidbits to the side, the film was phenomenal. It was funny throughout and featured plenty of amazing songs. I only wish my girl Demi Lovato had a slightly larger role, especially as her song “In the Mirror” is a real gem. Additionally, Dan Stevens’ portrayal of the Russian contestant was a five-star performance, right to the end.

Score: 9

🇳🇱 Renske: I went in with no expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised how the Eurovision movie got it right. It wasn’t necessarily funny to me, since I’m Dutch and our culture has a different sense of humour, but it was quite joyful to watch nonetheless. I love the attention they brought to the details. The only reason why the international press gave it such a mixed review is because they didn’t understand the parody completely like we Eurovision fans do. Oh, and it was much better than Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!

Score: 9

🇦🇺 🇭🇷 Antony: This film was such a pleasure to watch. It was so heart-warming and funny as it made its best effort to portray what Eurovision is about without being offensive to die-hard fans like us. I really liked the “Icelandic touches” within some of their jokes — Hákarl anyone? (That’s stinky cured shark). The songs, while occasionally ridiculous, were always musical — they mirrored the great range of songs typically seen at the contest. So much so that I couldn’t wait to listen to the soundtrack the next day. It’s a lovely burst of light during these dark pandemic days, and a film that I will repeat again and again.

Score: 8/10

🇻🇪 Pablo: I didn’t come into this expecting filmmakers to show off their detailed knowledge of the song contest or a sense of humour that particularly appeals to me, as Ferrell-style funny isn’t funny to me. And I got what I expected — and worse. There is a suspension of disbelief with fiction, to be sure. But as a Eurofan some things cannot be glossed over — most glaringly, what the precious heck was that semi-final result calculation and announcement? However, there were some good moments to be had: the music hits the spot between realistic and parody, the big “song-along” had good Interval Act energy, and Sigrit is a delight from beginning to end. Overall, the main word for me is “not” — not one for the books, not a game-changer, not the worst thing in the world, not a cause of great distress for the song contest or those who love it.

Score: 4

🇬🇧 🇵🇱 Tom: I was very worried about the film. Didn’t want to write about it and I didn’t really want to talk about it. A little bitterness also came in that I didn’t get an audition for it! I expected the worst, but on the whole it was surprisingly good. The songs are great and the film holds the contest in relatively high regard — though it does exaggerate elements and there are MANY inaccurate Eurovision references. Dan Stevens in particular is excellent and the film has brilliant Eurovision cameos and some “in jokes” which I appreciated. However, I would have preferred more music from the actual contest — the film was meant to celebrate Eurovision and there isn’t any real reason not to include some real ESC songs. Overall I’m pleased, but most of all relieved.

Score: 8

🇺🇸 Suzanne: I laughed. I cried. I felt a tug at my heart strings. I had a WTF moment or two. Netflix’s Eurovision movie offers an enjoyable two hours, though the duration could have been shortened while preserving the impact. The Sing-A-Long scene is my favourite part of the movie. It captures the true spirit of Eurovision: a CELEBRATION of music, friendship, love, happiness! My hope for the movie was that it would draw in new fans by sharing the heart of Eurovision. I do not believe this was achieved. While somewhat educational, the affinity for and the magnitude of Eurovision viewership did not come across in the movie, in part due to timing and the lack of Eurovision 2020 forced by the global pandemic. It was fun to see familiar faces from the Eurovision stage, appear on the big screen (at home). I enjoyed the (limited) character development, particularly the relationship between the Erickssong men, not to mention that Pierce Brosnan has always made my heart go pitter-patter. Definitely not a just replacement for the 2020 Grand Final in Rotterdam, but a fun distraction more generally during these strange times.

Score: 7.5

🇳🇿 Robyn: I love films centred around music and I love Eurovision, and Will Ferrell’s comedy films have made me laugh — so this film is a dream come true. Ferrell and Rachel McAdams’ Lars and Sigrit were cute, sympathetic and relatable lead characters who were the backbone of the story. The music was perfect, with classic Eurovision tropes from the past two decades, turned up to 11. In places I laughed out loud and the emotional finale of “Husavik” made my eyes leak. Yeah, it could have been a bit shorter (that subplot involving the K-pop remix of the song felt unnecessary) but it wasn’t uncomfortably long. And as a bonus, if the film can attract new fans to Eurovision, that is a good thing indeed.

Score: 9

🇸🇪 Tobias: I could write a paragraph, but I’m going to write an essay. Sorry ’bout it. I have been waiting for this movie…but what a disappointment! I adore their effort in making it come alive but it never catches the real atmosphere of Eurovision. Instead, they make a parody of the show, but not in a particularly funny way, and this mock Eurovision ends up looking rather low budget. I didn’t expect a documentary, but at least a dose of reality: I mean Johnny John John… singing hip hop and R&B for Sweden…in Eurovision…when has that ever happened? If there’s one thing we all know, it’s that Eurovision fans always complain that Sweden “always sends mainstream generic pop songs”. Johnny John John that is not. Also, at two hours: The film is too long!

Other issues include:

Voting. It’s a small detail, but it really annoys me — points should not be handed out during the semi-final.

The confusing scoreboard. There was no logic in it. The countries that received points were displayed twice on the same scoreboard. For example, in the voting process the Icelandic spokesperson announces 12 points to The Netherlands. When the next country gives their votes you can see on the right side of the scoreboard that The Netherlands has 0 points. But you can also see The Netherlands on the left side of the scoreboard with 12 points.

The medley: This is the biggest disappointment with the movie. You make a medley with iconic Eurovision stars including Loreen, Conchita Wurst, Netta, John Lundvik, Bilal, Elina Nechayeva, Anna Odobescu, Jamala, and Alexander Rybak…and make them sing a song from Cher?

There are, of course, some good things. What made this movie feel more realistic and more connected to Eurovision was seeing our very own wiwiblogger William shine with his energy and the sarcastic and hilarious commentator Graham Norton. They gave true Eurovision vibes! The “Husavik” song is also amazing, and shows off the incredible voice of our Swedish songbird Molly Sandén! If this were competing in the real Eurovision it would have my vote.

I was hoping that the movie would be an eye-opener to all those people (especially Americans) who don’t know anything about Eurovision. I wanted them to be blown away and see how amazing, fun, crazy, weird and interesting this show really is. But if I were in their shoes after watching this, I wouldn’t be interested in watching the real Eurovision at all.

Score: 5

We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 3 and a high of 9.

The Wiwi Jury Verdict:  7.39 / 10

What’s your score out of 10 for the movie? Did it exceed your expectations? What aspects of the film worked for you and what would you change if there were a sequel? Let us know in the comments box down below!

Read more of our coverage of the Netflix Eurovision Movie

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Ferdinand
Ferdinand
3 years ago

The explanation of the semifinal points.is that it was importat to show to the world how exciting is the point count system (for the final) that we would miss since the final wouldn’t be showed and who would win (Russia) since Fire Sagas were disqualified. So was better to do a little change to be able to transmit that excitement of the point system. As a ESC fan since I have memory gives10/10 to the movie

MollieLouise
MollieLouise
3 years ago

Am I the only who didn’t mind that they gave points in the semi final?So what if it’s incorrect, it’s a film lol. It really complimented the story in that moment.

Rose
Rose
3 years ago

It was…OK. I’m an American in Germany and I’d only seen clips of Eurovision (usually some “weirdest moments from Eurovision” compilation video on YouTube) before moving to Europe. I started watching it three years ago. I like Eurovision because it’s so cheesy, corny, etc. And the few actual good songs are always a welcome surprise. I don’t get why people are saying it makes Eurovision look cheap…I actually thought the stuff with the stage looked pretty accurate to me, with the strange screens and corny set pieces. IDK. My biggest problem was that it was too long (comedies shouldn’t be… Read more »

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Rose

I don’t know how many Wiwi posters share your attitude to the contest. Even the makers of this comedy seem to have more respect. Still…welcome! The reason the stage looks so accurate is because it was the actual stage from last year. They filmed it in Tel Aviv.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

The close up shots of the stage (scenes showing the main actors) were filmed in London AFAIK and was blended in with the shots from Tel Aviv. 🙂

Demi Lovato's Arm
Demi Lovato's Arm
3 years ago

Lol Deban wasn’t playing. All straight to the point.

Teddie
3 years ago

I watched the movie high as a kite and i loved almost every second of it. The song along was such a mindblown moment i had to rewatch it later a dozen times. Dan Stevens steals the show all the way of course and, as a Russian, i admired the humor of his situation (although him being the son of a chechen oligarch is a stretch, he looks nothing like the sort).

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Teddie

That was my only mistake – this film is probably even better stoned.

Jo.
Jo.
3 years ago

it’s got 49/100 on metacritic, so it’s a must-skip movie to me.
p.s. for a Ferrell movie, it’s actually quite high.

srulik
srulik
3 years ago
Reply to  Jo.

Never let others decide if you’re watching a movie or not. Try watching it you may hate it and you may love it

Jo.
Jo.
3 years ago
Reply to  srulik

yes, I get your point, but I don’t have much time to watch movies and tv shows, so metacritic has been quite handy when choosing the good stuff. I don’t like rotten tomatoes tho, they always overreact.

ESCJudge
ESCJudge
3 years ago

So Jon Ola Sand (mentioned as film executive producer) allows Farell to: use eurovision logo, eurovision stage… ok… and to show ESC as uncontrolled, unprepared, chaotic… so who is this “comedy” for? Fans will see those obvious differences in rehersals (no one comes unprepared or rearanges song few days before live), voting (sf voting looks completely different)… also this song changing… it’s just anoying for fans because THiS IS NoT EUrovisioN. So for who? Those who never watched ESC may never watch it because in this movie it looks crappy. So why? The Destroyer cancelled ESC 2020 and now this?… Read more »

Oddie
Oddie
3 years ago
Reply to  ESCJudge

Relax Is a movie not a documentary. It was the only introduction of ESC to the world, and was quite great. They reference how important is. As ESC fan. Loved the film, and the music. And was amazing to see the winners in the mashup. Is a comedy so is obvious that make fun of things but still not doing mocking the ESC or Iceland. Even makes a critic that Is true about songs in native language not getting much chance. And that should change.

Nate
Nate
3 years ago

Sadly the only one I agree with is Deban and I can’t see why many of you give the film such high notes…

Dennis
Dennis
3 years ago
Reply to  Nate

You know most people are just dumb, right? Ugh, I’m known for my poor taste in everything, so when even I think something bad is bad, then it really is bad. Ugh….

srulik
srulik
3 years ago

I had fun watching the movie with it’s crazy humour and Looney characters. I thing the aong-along is great and i understand why they didn’t take an esc sin – you need songs non esc fans know. I do have a problem with them showing the choreography as made up on the go , the poor voting and of course the fact they change the song on stage and the music is ready…as an esc fan that buged me. This movie is a comic relief with dan stevens doing the best philip kirkorov like and the self american jokes. I… Read more »

Joe
Joe
3 years ago

Couple of them gave it pretty bad reviews.

Pontus
Pontus
3 years ago

The songs was nice, The scoreboard totally wrong, so bad research there and their were really no funny jokes. The research on what Sweden usually send was bad to. That song was 0% Sweden.

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

I mean…”Rollin’ with the Homies” was a little outdated, but if you took “Boys with Emotions” and “Busy Doin’ Nothing” before running them through a filter of “Woki mit deim Popo” and “Teenage Life,” it wouldn’t be insanely far off.

Pontus
Pontus
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

I hope USA will not be in ESC, they are so FAAAAR from us in everything after this movie.

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

I think this moved us closer, but I still agree we shouldn’t compete.

Pontus
Pontus
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

i have watched YT videos were americans react to ESC. In every one of them they dont get the show at all.They mostly make fun of everything. So i dont think americans should compete. Alessia Michelle takes it serious, i like her. She also dont want her own country in ESC

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

I’m an American too, y’know.

Pontus
Pontus
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

oh i did not know. Do you agree with that ameicans dont get ESC then. you do and thats nice but i feel most dont

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

To be fair, anyone who’s not from Europe will have the same reaction as well as many would not have heard about Eurovision too, it’s not just Americans in general.

I’m from the Philippines by the way, a very random place to have any fans of the contest.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  James

That’s why it’s great that Eurovision has been to make fans out of people from out of Europe. Even then, the contest has been shown at various points elsewhere, with Australia eventually making its broadcast of a European show a decades-long tradition, while others discovered it courtesy of the internet.

Eurovision was envisioned to be inclusive, never exclusive.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  James

To be fair, the US music industry is quite large so you have to really get past the flashiness of its current mainstream stars such as Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift to see some really good performing artists such as Lady Antebellum, VHS Collection, Gavin DeGraw, Mokita, The Lumineers, and AJR. Much like you have get past some major European artists to see some promising acts many others may be sleeping on.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  James

Australia does not have huge $$$ for the contest. SBS is a tiny, not-for-profit public broadcaster. It is the least watched of the main TV channels.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

I do agree that it should be EBU full members only, though. There’s a limit to how many can participate, and full membership is the perfect place to draw the line. Opening it up to non-members is one thing, but then to limit this to Australia? Unfair and illogical.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

And just to cite this: Australia wasn’t the first associate member to be given an exception, at least in terms of the Eurovision family of events at large. The EBU has historically invited non-full members to take part in their other events sporadically, the latest being Kazakhstan for JESC.

There is precedent so yeah, it’s something to think about with regards to the EBU and Australia. And we know how Kazakhstan’s Khabar Agency is determined at the moment to join the adult contest in the near future.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

Strange, looks like my comment got picked up by the mod bot. Anyway, what I said earlier is that the EBU has precedent when it comes to inviting non-full members to participate in the Eurovision family of events, the latest being Kazakhstan in JESC so it’s something to think about.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  James

Right. They cite Australia’s “long history” as the reason for special treatment. A huge exaggeration. It had a tiny audience since the 1980s, when they simply repeated the BBC broadcast. It still has a small audience today, because, like I said, it’s on a minority channel. It’s simply totally wrong to give them special treatment over the likes of Kazakhstan.

Please don’t get me wrong, though – I have loved all of Australia’s participants, and the songs nearly as much. This is nothing personal! I love Australia.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  James

Canada’s CBC (associate member) took part in two early editions of Eurovision Young Dancers. Years later. non-associate member Kosovo took part in EYD’s 2011 contest.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

We still don’t know how much SBS pay to be allowed participate. The fees are normally calculated based on the income of the broadcaster, so I imagine they pay very little. Probably even less than actual EBU members.

Pontus
Pontus
3 years ago
Reply to  James

oh:) I mean its not their culture so they cant just jump in after 60 years

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

Technically, Americans have been taking part in Eurovision to represent one of the participating countries, either as singers or songwriters, there so not necessarily “their culture” is not an impediment.

Again, it all comes down to an associate member in the US expressing interest, which is highly unlikely because of many factors, some of which I mentioned above.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

To be invited into ESC, there actually has to be an EBU associate member-broadcaster who is actually interested. Which of the few associates in the US would you think would even entertain the idea of taking part?

Also, it’s highly unlikely for any of the major networks (NBC, CBS, ABC) that they would buy 3-hour blocks of live airtime from their respective affiliates and owned stations across three afternoons because they don’t normally program nationally during that time of the day to air a show that has yet to prove it can rate in the millions.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

I think that was intentional because *spoiler alert for those who hasn’t seen it*, we were never gonna see the announcement of votes once the movie started covering the final.

Pontus
Pontus
3 years ago
Reply to  James

I see. i dont hate US. I just think they dont fit in with esc. They have bought their own ESC. So have to see if they start it up

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Pontus

I don’t think we should compete because we’ve only just started getting into it on a broader scale and don’t have that widespread, long term passion for the contest yet. If we had the love for the contest Australia did, maybe it’d make sense, but we’re a long ways away from that. I still think we deserve to be allowed to watch and enjoy the contest too, though.

Joe
Joe
3 years ago

I said my piece on it before (and I likely will again several times over as every friend and family member asks what I thought about it), but to summarize: I thought it was a lot of fun, and its simultaneous over-the-top/heart-on-sleeve aesthetic is kind of the perfect balance of the traits commonly associated with Eurovision and the better Will Ferrell films (its occasional darker jokes would be too dark for Elf, but a lot of the other jokes are more gentle than, say, Anchorman). It’s not perfect, and in classic Will Ferrell fashion the worst jokes are the most… Read more »

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

Side note: just read that Duncan Laurence didn’t cameo because of scheduling conflicts, but he gets a nod because the piano Lars plays during “Husavik” is the exact same piano Duncan used for “Arcade.” Plus, a guy in the audience is supposed to be wearing a very similar shirt to Mahmood.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

American talk show host? You’re talking about that Stephen Colbert thing, right? That was kinda funny.

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

I thought it was funny enough for that little segment, but it was pretty clear he was basing the bit entirely on the short snippets from 2016 he showed. As a little bit, it’s enjoyable (and sounds eerily similar to “Space” from a year later), but if that was all the research they did and tried to pass THAT off as a full-length movie, that would be the exact sort of shallow parody people were worried this movie would be.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

True.

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

Heck, even the fact that talking about “1944” meant that he had to directly contradict the blanket assumptions lots of people make about “Eurovision music” was more nuance than the bit would allow. The movie is smart enough to not make fun of acts that actually have serious real-world implications behind their songs. Not to say Jamala wasn’t part of the fun, of course (matter of fact, it’s pretty dope that she’s shown as a happy guest at a party thrown by a Russian). The movie also is smart enough to not show any real-life wackadoodle novelty acts like Verka… Read more »

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

They even have a specific place in the movie to acknowledge more low-key songs, given the legitimately adorable montage of Fire Saga wandering around Scotland while “Amar pelos dois” soundtracks it all. They play that element of it completely straight, and they don’t even joke at Salvador’s expense (save for the implication that post-Eurovision he’s resorted to busking).

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago

I would say it’s an enjoyable mess and I would give it a warm 6. The soundtrack is good, Dan Stevens and Rachel McAdams did great. Will Ferrell… well, usually you like or don’t like his comedy and I’m not a fan. Wish they had used Pierce Brosnan better. I guess it’s a consensus that the film could be shorter, as the screenplay would benefit from some serious polishing. So, for casual viewers, I believe the film is exactly what it tries to be: sweet, silly, light-hearted and unpretentious. Looking from a Eurovision’s fan perspective, I’m glad that the film… Read more »

Killmouseki
Killmouseki
3 years ago

It was a train wreck, bad acting, bad jokes, mostly bad songs.

Jose Sixto Raphael Gonzalez Dantes
Jose Sixto Raphael Gonzalez Dantes
3 years ago
Reply to  Killmouseki

So there’s at least one song you did like then. 🙂

mark dowd
mark dowd
3 years ago

6.

it’s way too long and not very funny. But as Deban says, cameos and soundtrack are excellent.

Laburnum
Laburnum
3 years ago

Couldn’t even get half way through tbh. Terrible film. Not a fan of Will Farrell in general

James
James
3 years ago

It’s not an Oscar-winning film (unless Netflix submits “Husavik” for consideration), that’s for certain. However, it gets the job done in entertaining two particular audiences which is a tough thing to do from the get-go. Based on the generally good online feedback from those who’ve watched it, the warm response to the soundtrack and the fact that it’s been in the Top 10 most watched titles in US Netflix for a week since its release, I think I consider that a win.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  James

Will “Husavik” be eligible for an Oscar? I know previous Netflix movies like Roma or The Irishman had to be in cinemas for a limited time, purely to make them eligible. Has Covid 19 changed things?

Skiwalko
Skiwalko
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

I did a bit of research, and it seems that “Husavik” cannot win an Oscar. Here’s an extract from the official Oscars rulebook: “The unprecedented coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic mandated the closure of all Los Angeles County movie theaters as of Monday, March 16, 2020. Current Academy Awards rules stipulate that a film be shown in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily. Until further notice and for the 93rd Awards year only, films that had a previously… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Skiwalko
Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Skiwalko

Thanks, that’s interesting. I know Netflix rarely release their movies in cinemas, and even then only “prestige” movies that are likely to pick up multiple Oscar nominations. I doubt this was ever going to apply to this movie, so yeah – Husavik is out.

James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

I’m not sure if it means anything but Vulture seem to have lit the fire to get Husavik submitted to next year’s Oscars. Not sure how that will go but let’s see in a year. lol

Timi
Timi
3 years ago

8.5, to me it’s not the greatest movie of all time, BUT it’s a movie with a lot of heart and I really really appreciate that. Will loves ESC and I feel it, that’s all. To me it was beautiful.

Nitzan
Nitzan
3 years ago

7.39… like, almost 8? Hell naw. This movie is a 5 at best. I agree the music is good and most of the jokes were funny but as an overall movie it just lacking so much, both in the plot and in the depiction of the Eurovision. I agree with Deban on this. The overhyped sing along felt like it came out of nowhere and had no real connection to the plot and the choice of songs for them to sing was weird. I did like the energy in it but that scene just feels like a missed opportunity to… Read more »

Nitzan
Nitzan
3 years ago
Reply to  Nitzan

The idea that Lars wanted to participate in the contest to show his father that he is a worthy person doesn’t add up because throughout the movie his father, as well as everyone else in the villege, are depicted to not care about the contest at all. moreover, they seem to have resentment and disrespect for the contest. The connection between the lead charecters to the contest is very loose in the film. Also, the film fails to capture the scale and epicness of the contest and the pride and privilage it is to participate. To me, it tries but… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Nitzan
James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Nitzan

They care enough to have a watch party at the start of the movie.

Nitzan
Nitzan
3 years ago
Reply to  James

And then continuesly dismiss it for the rest of the film

Last edited 3 years ago by Nitzan
James
James
3 years ago
Reply to  Nitzan

I think it’s more of them not liking their act more than they don’t like ESC…because well, Katiana was *spoiler*.

Skiwalko
Skiwalko
3 years ago

In short: it really doesn’t matter how many Eurovision-related inaccuracies there were in movie or how many stars appeared in the song-along scene, when the film itself is poorly structured, filled with clichés and just plain lazy. It works neither as a comedy nor as a drama – the characters it portrays have no depth and don’t act or talk like humans, the story offers nothing but predictable, forced plot points, unrealistic, artificial obstacles and convenient turns of events, the tone is inconsistent and straight up bizarre sometimes, and the jokes either go for too long, don’t fit the scene,… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Skiwalko
Skiwalko
Skiwalko
3 years ago
Reply to  Skiwalko

Hey Una, I have to disagree with you. I don’t think any of these situations was “unpredictable”, these plot elements had to appear in the movie for it to make sense, but they were executed in the most uncreative way possible. It’s like: “How do we make our heroes get selected to compete in the show? We’ll just make up a rule that *conveniently* says that there have to be 12 participants, and *conveniently* there’s one spot left, and *conveniently* we’ll have one guy in the boardroom randomly choose Fire Saga’s cassette. And how do we make our heroes go… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Skiwalko
Fionn
Fionn
3 years ago

I’m gonna be honest….. Deban is right!

Tom
Tom
3 years ago

I love Deban

Bouke
Bouke
3 years ago

I have started the movie the day before yesterday but still haven’t finished watching it. I just don’t feel like I have to finish watching the movie, as for me the movie isn’t that funny and the “Icelandic” accents Will and Rachel use are very painful. I like the fact that they invited Eurovision stars tho, I guess I’ll search for that part of the movie online or I’ll fast forward to that part on netflix. I really wanted to like the movie but it did nothing for me… And I’m already 45 minutes into it 🙁

Dawid
Dawid
3 years ago

Its guilty pleasure for ESC fans but it will ridicule it to anyone who haven’t watched it yet and wanted to get into it starting with a movie.

Harry review's
Harry review's
3 years ago

My reveiw The film was a fun escape from whats going on right now and its not just that but it is a very good film, the plot whilst dogy was well constructed and flowed very well. The song where amazin especially hulsavic which i belive could win if it it went to eurovison (obvs it can’t). The film took the contest very serioulsnt and whilst made some mistake like the voting it was a plesure to see the contest was never once made fun of and was actaully very relistically managed by peoples reaction to it. The main characters… Read more »

Kosey
Kosey
3 years ago

It is a 7.5 from me. I found it to be funny (my goodness the elves were hilarious), unexpected (the blowing up of the boat was quite traumatic!) and nostalgic (the sing-a-long moment was definitely one for the fans). Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams were great. I laughed at least 20 times during the movie, which is a good return for a comedy. There were lots of little jokes which really tickled me, I have always been partial to Will Ferrell’s delivery and Rachel really complemented him throughout. Even the songs were really well thought-through lyrically – Coolin with Da… Read more »

Xyz
Xyz
3 years ago

It’s painfully unfunny, extremely boring and cheap. 2/10

CarlosM
CarlosM
3 years ago

Deban needs to get a sense of humor! Or, is he just jealous he didn’t get a cameo? I am not surprised Deban gave it the lowest jury score. Even the jury member who gave it a ‘5’ was not as negative as Deban.Deban, why don’t you make a better movie if you hate this one so much? On to the movie itself, I give it a ‘8’. I don’t think it would’ve done as well in the theaters. And, Suzanne is right: We won’t get new fans from this. But, we need to petition NETFLIX to submit HUSAVIK as… Read more »