Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Disappointing docu about '70s disco band; language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
ABBA: Against the Odds
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Two male studio musicians and two women with beautiful voices got together in Sweden and started writing and recording upbeat, danceable tunes in English back in the early 1970s. When they appeared at the 1974 Eurovision song competition, they wore outlandish, gaudy, satiny sequined costumes that became part of their brand. ABBA: AGAINST THE ODDS goes back to the early days of the pop band's success, launched by winning that contest and ultimately leading to the sale of 375 million records. Soon they're touring Europe, Australia, and other far-flung places, selling records and filling stadiums. Once famous, they used their renown to raise millions for UNICEF. Eventually the domination of edgier punk made pop seem dull and sugary and, along with changing group dynamics, ended their success.
Is It Any Good?
This documentary is for diehard ABBA fans only. Nothing in it has merit for anyone else. Even fans may be disappointed. There is no musing on their odd influence on the culture, nothing about inspiring the 2008 hit film Mamma Mia! and its sequel. There's nothing here about their current lives and there are no current on-camera interviews. Their present-day voices do narrate the footage, but it's mostly from the 1970s and little personal insight or depth is provided. The global political turbulence of the era is glossed over, as is their seeming obliviousness to it in their work and personally. And no one ever asks them to explain why they wrote and performed in English.
The story of the individual songs and albums is at times told out of order. Certain bits of information are repeated. We hear numerous times that one of them feared flying. The filmmakers do no digging. Discussion of the breakup of one of the marriages is limited to a cut-and-dried focus on one spouse's unhappiness and everyone knows divorce is far more complicated than that. For a film about a 1970s pop group, there's notably no mention of drug or alcohol use. The group claimed they used no drugs, but the male members were said to be hard drinkers and Benny publicly spoke of his alcoholism in 2018. The best moment by far is just an entertaining clip: Agnetha sings a bit of opera in an appearance on Olivia Newton John's television show. Then John, Agnetha, and guest Barry Gibb sing together charmingly. For those who find ABBA's music bland, this will feel like a fitting recap of the band's career.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the seemingly sunny disposition of the band members and whether that corresponds to the blandness of the group's lyrics and tunes. Do you think the success of their music in the turbulent 1970s was tied to the cheeriness of the music? Why or why not?
How does ABBA's music compare to pop music of today? What are some of the differences?
Why is ABBA's music still relevant today?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 24, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : May 11, 2025
- Director : James Rogan
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : May 13, 2025
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