Part of the schtick of Will Ferrell’s new comedy, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, is that the film was supposed to debut on Netflix at the same time as the actual competition. Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic prevented that, pausing Eurovision for the first time since its debut in 1956. The delightful annual event, which kickstarted careers for ABBA, Celine Dion, and Dana International, is better known outside of the United States, but perhaps this film, more celebration than satire, might change that.
Ferrell and Rachel McAdams play a pair of Icelandic goofs who, through a series of circumstances, end up singing for the small island nation in what V.F. critic Richard Lawson calls “Europe’s glitzy thunderdome.” In reality, Iceland was supposed to be repped this year by Daði Freyr, a 27-year-old from Reykjavik who plays keyboards, bass, guitar, and drums and is six feet nine inches tall. And he’s also got a good nose for marketing.
Weeks ago, Freyr uploaded a cover of a tune Ferrell and McAdams’s group, Fire Saga, rehearse in Pierce Brosnan’s garage. (Yes, Brosnan plays Ferrell’s father in the film; just go with it.) His lo-fi version of this short ode to magma, “Volcano Man,” can be heard below.
In New York Magazine’s recently published deep-dive into the music of Eurovison, director David Dobkin says the video for “Volcano Man” was shot on a real lava field near Keflavik that is due to erupt again. (Ferrell and McAdams are putting their lives on the line to make us laugh, and for this we should be grateful.)
Though fjords and tectonic plates are cool, the song Freyr was supposed to sing at Eurovision, “Think About Things,” is also quite terrific on its own, as is the choreography in this video. If you click play on this video, your day will get better.
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