Film Review: Eurovision The Story of Fire Saga

Sadly, this year's Eurovision Song Contest had to be cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, all is not lost for Eurovision fans as a brand new movie is here to fill the gaping hole left by the absence of Eurovision 2020!

With an explosion of fun and crazy antics, enter Eurovision Song Content: The Story of Fire Saga. 

This is a fun, feel-good comedy film which centres around Lars and Sigrit, a pair from a small Icelandic town. Lars' lifelong dream is to win the Eurovision Song Contest and despite his wacky attitude and somewhat lacklustre talent, each year he tries and fails to become Iceland's official entry to the contest. Together, the pair form a band called Fire Saga, where both perform original songs in their latest attempt to finally make it to the Eurovision stage. 

Through a series of increasingly unlikely events, astonishingly, Fire Saga becomes the Icelandic entry and makes it through the semifinals to perform in the Eurovision final in Edinburgh (a strange choice for a host city, given that the UK almost always receives nil points during the voting stages). However, with their relationship becoming increasingly fraught and tensions rising, will Fire Saga triumph? Will Lars' dream finally come true? 

The Story of Fire Saga is comedic and entertaining, but above all, it's a brilliant feel-good film and the perfect antidote to this Eurovision fallow year. It takes all the best bits of Eurovision and blends them together into an exciting, delightful, and slightly ridiculous film which is the perfect tribute to an event that is beloved by fans around the world.

As with Eurovision itself, the trick with this film is not to take it too seriously. It rides the thin line between mocking Eurovision and paying homage to it, yet surprisingly manages to pull it off excellently. If you want a film with a strong plot and good acting, this is not the film for you, but if you want glitter, cheese, and all the brilliance of classic Eurovision performances, then turn on your TV and get this film queued up!

The soundtrack is catchy and a great mix of songs is played throughout the film, each taking inspiration from various performances of past contests. The film's climax is rousing and the final performance is sweet and actually quite touching, with the perfect song as an accompaniment.

Yes, the acting isn't great (with the exception of Dan Stevens' surprisingly convincing Russian entry) and the accents are even worse - I'm looking at you, Pierce Brosnan - but overall this is an excellent upbeat film and the perfect antidote to the current climate of negativity.

Have you seen Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga? Share your thoughts in the comments below!