Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Cert 15| ★★★★✩

Daniel Radcliffe (the Harry Potter films, The Woman in Black, The Lost City) shines in this hilariously funny biopic purporting to tell the “real life” story of Mr Parody himself, “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Directed by Eric Appel (Funny Or Die) who has co-written the screenplay with Yankovic himself .Weird: The Al Yankovic Story premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year and is scheduled to be released on The Roku Channel in the UK this week .

The film follows the rise of Yankovic (Radcliffe), a nerdy kid with strict parents (played by Julianne Nicholson and Toby Huss) who grows up to be one of the best accordion players of his generation.

A fan of comedy in all its forms, Al makes a name for himself in the niche, yet increasingly popular, music parody genre and soon becomes one of its most famous stars.

Rachel Evans wood in Weird The Al Yankovic Story

Rachel Evans Wood

Al is befriended by fame-hungry pop star Madonna (played hilariously by Evan Rachel Wood) in the hope that he might parody one of her songs and therefore bring some attention to her own album.

he two become inseparable and eventually fall in love, but are the cracks starting to show in Al’s perfect career?

As satires go, the is undeniably up there with the likes of Rob Reiner’s 1984 film Spinal Tap. There are also shades of Christopher Guest’s own work in the genre — Best In Show and A Mighty Wind spring to mind.

Appel and Yankovic manage to parody the biopic genre with hilarious results and although both writers bring their usual brand of silliness to the proceedings, it is Radcliffe’s, now infamous, and impeccable comic-timing that manages to elevate this from passable, to truly unique.

With cameos from everyone who’s anyone, including talk show host Conan O’Brien, The Office star Rainn Wilson and Hollywood actor Jack Black, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the kind of nonsense the world has been crying out for. Radcliffe should be commended for stepping out his comfort zone with this ingenious bit of casting.