The new Eurovision film starring Will Ferrell has been well-received by Icelandic fans of the European song competition, RÚV reports.
The movie is called Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga and debuted on Netflix over the weekend. It tells the story of two budding Icelandic music stars, played by Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, who find their dreams of getting to compete in Eurovision come true.
The film has generally been received poorly by critics, who say that it is a thin, chaotic, and generally inferior consolation prize for the song contest that was not held this year. However, it is clear that its supporters are greatly passionate about it.
Icelandic Eurovision supporters seem to be quite fond of the film. Many people have waited impatiently for screenings, and therefore started watching it immediately once it was available to stream online.
Most people taking part in discussions about the film in a private group on Facebook seemed quite satisfied. They stated that it was funny, that it was nice to see Iceland portrayed in a “humorous light,” but at the same time that it was weird, so bad that it was good, and a bit morose at times. The jokes tied to the song competition were completely bulletproof.
“The names could have been more Icelandic,” someone wrote, referring to the main characters, who were given the completely un-Icelandic names Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir.
The humor might be lost on everyone except the most hardcore of Eurovision fans. Director of Iceland’s official OGAE Eurovision fan club Flosi Jón Ófeigsson is overjoyed.
He finds the film enjoyable and funny, and that it accurately captures the Eurovision spirit. He also says that film is a wonderful consolation after many difficult months knowing that Iceland had a strong chance of bringing home the win.
“What else did we expect from Will Ferrell?” Flosi asks in a conversation with the news agency. He says that the Eurovision stars have been having a lot of fun, and that Húsavík will be the Eurovision hub until next year.
As ever, those looking for more information or advice should go to the Icelandic Government’s excellent COVID-19 help page.
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