How to watch ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ for free
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story looks to be one of the standout biopics of the year, although it isn’t being released in cinemas.
Directed by Eric Appel, this send-up of the biopic genre stars Daniel Radcliffe as ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic and loosely follows the musician’s life and career. The rest of the cast is similarly unexpected, with Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna, Rainn Wilson as radio broadcaster Dr. Demento and Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey.
To perhaps match the off-beat tone, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is being rolled out on a platform which isn’t quite as ubiquitous as Netflix or Prime Video.
Where to watch the ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic biopic
The film is set to be released on Friday November 4 on The Roku Channel. Unlike other streaming services, The Roku Channel is free and instead relies on revenue from ads, content distribution and device sales to stay afloat.
For US viewers, the Roku Channel can be streamed for free through the platform’s official website across PCs, mobile phones and tablets without a device.
Viewers in the UK and Canada however don’t have the same luxury. The only way to stream Roku content in these territories is to purchase a Roku device, with the cheapest option, Roku Express, available from £29.99 from the official website. It’s available on Amazon UK for £26.99.
The Roku Channel isn’t available outside these territories, with it unclear how it will be distributed elsewhere.
Is there a trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story?
A synopsis for the film reads: “Weird tells the ‘true’ story of Alfred Matthew Yankovic – world famous as ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic – his beginning interest in the accordion, his discovery by Dr. Demento, his support from Madonna, and his overall claim to fame. A satire of the biopic genre, the film intentionally exaggerates and downright fabricates moments in Yankovic’s life for comical effect.”
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and received positive early reviews, especially for Radcliffe’s performance.
In a four-star review, NME wrote: “Occasionally, it all gets a bit too on the nose. The constant mock-veneration of Al’s lyrical prowess is overdone – and co-writer Yankovic’s desperate need to show he’s in on the joke quickly grows tiresome. And yet, Radcliffe’s winning performance – like a goofy high-schooler who wins the lottery – is enough to keep everyone laughing.”
The post How to watch ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ for free appeared first on NME.
Adam Starkey
NME
