Like A Surgeon: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) - Reviewed

weird al
images courtesy Roku

The long-awaited biopic that most of the world has waited for has finally arrived. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story tells the tale of one of America’s most lauded parody artists played by one of Britain’s finest leading talents, Daniel Radcliffe. The film opens with a young Yankovic gaining an appreciation for polka and the accordion before being beaten down by life for choosing to rise above the normalcy and mundane around his Berkeley,California neighborhood. 

Strapped with an accordion, a dream, and Hawaiian shirts for literally any and every occasion, the film expands upon the Funny or Die sketch it’s based on as it follows Alfred on his meteoric rise to the top from his unbiased perspective.


All of the hallmark tropes present in biopics over the years including disapproving parents, the often cringe Fant4stic-esque moments when inspiration strikes, and the eventual fallout with bandmates and collaborators are present in Weird. Although years removed from past parody films including Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox Story and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, it uses what worked well for those films and adds in Yankovic’s surreal and unconventional sense of humor. 


Starring alongside Radcliffe is an all-star cast including Rainn Wilson as his ”dementor” radio personality Dr. Demento, Evan Rachel Wood in perhaps one of the best roles in her career as a young Madonna, and many more famous names as recognizable faces. As mentioned, the film is based on a viral Funny or Die sketch directed by Eric Appel who is also the helmer of this biopic in his directorial debut. 


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Appel also co-wrote the script with Yankovic which is chock-full of callbacks and sight gags to future classics the 5-time Grammy winner would go on to pen. The revisionist history the two employ will entertain those most familiar with his work while sending newcomers on an internet rabbit hole.  

Radcliffe shines as a young Al -growing his own six pack and stache- to show his dedication to the craft when the bare minimum would’ve been just fine. His on-screen chemistry with Wood’s Madonna is palpable as the two grind their teeth with the scenery with just the right amount of awareness. Wood nails the vain, explotative love interest that messes with the flow of Al and his band before sending him down a downward spiral in ways you’re more than likely familiar with. With a moderate runtime of 108 minutes and resplendent cameos and costume design, the film is a fun romp to pass the time. It’s available to watch for free on Roku so there's no reason not to give it a chance.


-Michael Omoruan