TIFF 2022: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Weird Al Yankovic isn’t a traditional singer therefore his aptly-named biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, isn’t your traditional biopic. The parody singer revolutionized the music industry and his songs have made quite a niche for himself, amassing himself a strong and loyal following over the course of his almost 40-year career. Ultimately, casting such a biopic presents a near-herculean challenge because who can possibly embody such a character as Weird Al Yankovic? The answer to that question was Daniel Radcliffe. A peculiar choice on paper, the casting was a cause for concern for some audiences primarily for the height difference but with a talented actor like Radcliffe at the helm, the filmmakers will figure it out and they did. Co-written by Yankovic who also appears in the film, Radcliffe is an absolute delight as Yankovic in an absolutely bonkers anti-biopic that also works as a satire of the music industry and the 1980s as a whole. A series of fun and surprising cameos are also a plus.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story follows a traditional rise and fall structure but where it stands out is the sheer ridiculousness of that journey. An outcast at a young age, Yankovic took refuge in the accordion, much to the dismay of his disapproving father Nick (Toby Huss). However, that would not be for long once he finally embraced his calling as a young adult which was parody songs. Little did he know, Yankovic could make a career out of it. From there, it was up to him to convince music executives that he was worth signing to a record deal. With the support and mentorship of his childhood idol Dr. Demento (Wilson), he proved that there was a place for his parody songs while other artists noticed as a parody of one of their songs was seen as a badge of honor and provided them a bump. Yankovic’s rise, however, saw a rough patch once he struck a relationship with Madonna (Wood). Enamored by her, she arguably brought him down and proved to be a bad influence with ulterior motives for their crazy relationship. In the end, it was up to Yankovic to come to his senses before it was too late.

Though the meta writing is hilarious, the best part of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story was its performances with the best being the aforementioned scene-stealing turn from Radcliffe as Yankovic. He may not necessarily look like the singer but he certainly captures his personality with his likeability and screen presence while embracing the campiness of the story. Meanwhile, Yankovic delivering the vocals was a nice touch that just added to the film’s weird tone. Wood takes a similar path as Madonna. Unrecognizable, she brings an unhinged energy that was a blast to watch. From Wilson as Dr. Demento to several surprise cameos, the supporting cast also delivers.

At the end of the day, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the perfect film for Yankovic fans but otherwise offers one of the most entertaining watches this year.

*still courtesy of TIFF

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.