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Frank

Frank

2014
Comedy, Drama
1h 35m
A comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), who discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender). (imdb)
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Frank

2014
Comedy, Drama
1h 35m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 54.36% from 1552 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1552)
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Rated 20 Oct 2014
84
62nd
Strange movie loosely based on actual musical visionaries/celebrities. Fassbender is really good and Gyllenhaal plays a wonderfully sociopathic woman. Didn't necessarily care for the lead but I feel like that's almost the point. The music is fun what little of it there actually is. The ending song is fantastic.
Rated 05 Sep 2014
85
73rd
An amateur songwriter (Domhnall Gleeson) is invited to join a band fronted by the mysterious Frank (Michael Fassbender), who always wears a giant fake head. What could have been a one-note slice of absurdism becomes a disturbing, often dazzlingly audacious look at the fine line between madness and genius. Fassbender gives a hugely ballsy performance, but Gleeson's oblivious manipulation is almost as effective. Shaky at times, but too heartfelt and special to dismiss. Excellent music, too.
Rated 24 Aug 2014
54
41st
This just felt like it was quirky for the sake of being quirky. Not only that, but the themes dealing with mental illness felt pretty tacked on in order to give the film some needed emotional content. Ultimately, minus the title character, this film was filled with two incredibly unlikable characters (Gyllenhaal and the protagonist) that dominated and kind of wrecked the story for me. I really wanted to like this, but it just felt dull and I really didn't care for it. I guess it was kinda funny?
Rated 05 Oct 2014
58
28th
I so wanted to punch Frank in his fat fucking head.
Rated 13 Dec 2014
54
56th
I'm not sure I'm feeling this new direction for Deadmau5...
Rated 18 Jan 2015
85
58th
Although this movie is really weird, i still thought it was good. Michael Fassbender did a great job, as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal. Even though I don't know Domhnall Gleeson that well,i think he wasn't that great. I was surprised by Fassbender voice, very good.
Rated 25 Jan 2023
72
72nd
I'd like to think that this is the same process that Slipknot go through but they just keep the guy.
Rated 02 Sep 2014
78
58th
I spent much of the film wishing it was framed from any perspective besides the protagonist's.
Rated 26 Oct 2014
8
80th
A hidden gem of 2014. Excellently filmed, some great shots throughout the feature. Frank is central to everything, even with no face - Fassbender just dominates. Gleeson proves a good leading man in what is a one of the better stories about musciains.
Rated 09 Nov 2014
86
78th
truly unique...a beautiful depiction of eccentricity
Rated 21 Nov 2014
80
90th
This was a really cool film. I really enjoyed how original it felt. Not just in its odd story, but in the way that it avoided clichés and obvious sentimentalities. I liked how it explored ideas about creativity and art and wanting to be someone you're not. Domhnall Gleeson was good, and Michael Fassbender was great again, even under that big head. I enjoyed it a lot, and I recommend giving it a go, for sure.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
86
51st
Not bad. Frank, was peculiar as it may be at times, delivers a fine message on mental illnesses and while the second half is a little down-some, the first half is genuinely funny and I thought it ended pretty well. Some good music along with some good performances. Fassbender is a good singer and amazing actor.
Rated 30 Jan 2015
75
73rd
There are a lot of quirky movies. Most of them are not solid movies. This is a solid, quirky movie.
Rated 03 Feb 2015
75
64th
One of those films where after I finished, I knew I would enjoy this film more and more, and will probably end up re-watching it soon. Fassbender, without any facial reactions, gives a great performance, as the film plays against the Daniel Johnston-inspired myth of the "tortured artist", and presents the beautiful story of a man who is in love with his craft. Someone could write a good paper on the abstraction of the face and how we communicate, or something -- I am just spitballin' here.
Rated 19 Dec 2017
74
62nd
The movie seems to switch a bit much between literal and metaphor for my liking but the memorable moments are certainly worthy of a viewing if you need an indie fix.
Rated 19 Nov 2021
95
96th
Surprisingly meaningful, unvarnished, unsentimental take on significant topics, while maintaining an exquisite sense of humor. Really beautiful.
Rated 10 Sep 2014
70
77th
Frank is not an easy watch. Its subjects are individuals who are not the most stable of people, and that means that you're often in for dark or confusing times. But it's a truthful film, especially once you get past its eccentric gimmick of having its biggest actor stuck inside of a papier-mâché head. This is a good movie, one that will make you laugh and then think about life and the people within it.
Rated 18 Sep 2014
85
95th
I think at some point in life, everyone tested the "depths" of his musical ability. While most people sway from it sooner or later, and rightfully so, there still remains a seemingly infinite pool of talentless hacks and gifted geniuses out there. Defining which is which, and to whom, is a futile effort. This movie captures the essence of that timeless endeavor, nicely backlining it with the trouble that the social media age adds. And yeah, the whole fassbender/head-thing is superb.
Rated 03 Oct 2014
75
54th
It has a great hook, both visually and thematically involving the giant head mask. The problems arise with the relatively bland lead and the unnecessarily hostile bandmates he encounters. Still, the way it touches on mental illness is really well handled. Nothing within the house caused Frank to be Frank. It wasn't some kind of trauma. And that's what makes it so scary. What's funny is that the first time any of the band's music was any good was the last song they played...and it was excellent.
Rated 07 Oct 2014
73
34th
Don't let the paper-mache head fool you, because this film is a lot more conventional than it looks; it's a perfectly likeable indie comedy about eccentric people rather than a truly eccentric film itself. That being said, I was taken in by its depiction of the frustrations of trying to create something good, by the insistent pleasantness of it and by Frank himself, who's a charismatic and surprisingly nuanced character (Fassbender accomplishes a lot without showing his face).
Rated 23 Nov 2014
83
81st
You can treat FRANK in a number of ways: as a straight forward amusing comedy, or a really interesting study of creativity versus popularity. Frank IS very funny, but it is the films central theme of "mad, poor, misunderstood genius" v "popular, rich, talentless nobody" that really strikes a chord; how it's too easy to become enamoured with "success" when measured by popularity & money, rather than "success" in terms of true uniqueness and creativity. A touching, thoughtful and interesting film.
Rated 02 Dec 2014
71
60th
cool performances
Rated 31 Dec 2014
77
79th
Not quite what I was expecting, as it isn't really about Sidebottom at all, but one of the years better comedies regardless. Fassbender gives my all time favourite fibreglass head performance.
Rated 15 Jan 2015
80
78th
A very enjoyable comedy drama where the lead steals the show despite wearing a giant fake head the whole time (I don't really want to say who it was because I didn't know going in and was pleasantly surprised). I also liked how mental illness was handled. The weirdest part was the way the other band mates treated him. It wasn't explained and very nonsensical why they were uber dicks to him from the start.
Rated 17 Jan 2015
70
67th
Actually has only the name 'Frank' and the large head in common with Sidebottom, but is admittedly nonetheless fun and stylish . It looks and sounds good, Fassbender and Gyllenhaal were both good pieces of casting, Gleeson was not, and it certainly has a charming off-kilterness about it. Of course a movie about the actual Frank Sidebottom would have been more interesting than the slightly unfulfilled offering given here, but would have made zero cash.
Rated 30 Jan 2015
36
99th
The Mars Volta autobiography.
Rated 28 Feb 2015
6
54th
Very lovable, very cheesy, maybe cutesy to a fault, but the charm carries it a long way and I'd recommend it to most anyone who's been involved in some kind of artistic endeavor with other people. The protagonist is a boring white guy, which is a problem, but there are some strong musical scenes, Fassbender's character is highly amusing, and I liked its unromanticized angle about mental illness that bubbles up towards the end.
Rated 25 Feb 2019
71
47th
*listens to Captain Beefheart once*
Rated 11 May 2014
6
44th
Original, bizarre and quietly funny but with an underlying message about individuality.
Rated 13 Jun 2014
71
41st
Good film. It may seem pretty silly and goofy (and not in an annoying manner you see in American comedies), but it turns out to be an interesting way at handling the subject matter of mental illness. I have no real complaints about this, other than it's not amazingly special.
Rated 01 Sep 2014
75
68th
It was bittersweet. Funny, but sad. It was reflecting the real people, but some parts of it were very unreal and made me wonder like "how can he afford medical bills?" The music they were making was something like my ex-husband liked. There must be something in these music.
Rated 09 Sep 2014
64
69th
This film could be a film about the next gimmicky band with a BNM song on Pitchfork. The tone of the film is very uneven: first two thirds play out as an upbeat, quirky comedy in major (I didn't like it too much), and it ends on a minor, bummer note, that adds the meaning to the film (is it the gimmick that makes an artist? or mental illness? or perhaps talent?), but disrupts the flow.
Rated 09 Sep 2014
70
41st
I was going to rate it an 80 because I actually really liked the ending (the song and moment was moving), but I waited a bit until I was off the "high" of it and the rest of the movie doesn't really deserve an 80. It's a quirky -- though sometimes seemingly just to be quirky -- and oddball movie, but I didn't find it overly funny or dramatic. It worked though as a satire and bromance, and was an enjoyable movie through and through. Just not a GREAT movie. Still definitely worth a watch though.
Rated 16 Sep 2014
65
39th
O assisti em um momento de luto para desanuviar os entraves subjetivos, deu certo, apesar de ser uma loucura fazer um filme com Fassbender sem mostrar a sua cara maravilhosa.
Rated 18 Sep 2014
18
4th
Me saying no to hipsters: the mother lode
Rated 23 Sep 2014
93
76th
I would see this band live forever if they actually went on tour and played. That would be amazing. I don't get why people think Gimmicky things are bad. I think those people are without imagination. This movie was a great ride and it left me with a very happy sad aftertaste. Its a great watch and I'll be making it part of my collection as soon as I can!
Rated 26 Sep 2014
71
72nd
Cleverly avoids cliches. Trustworthy.
Rated 26 Sep 2014
2
21st
Completely pointless. Main character was insufferably beta and annoying and made it hard to watch. Would've been better if they just dove into the mental illness of Frank head first but yet they tow the line between being a comedy and a drama too much and thus end of accomplishing nothing. You have to think the only reason Fassbender did this movie was to finger blast Maggie Gyllenhaal otherwise life just doesn't make sense.
Rated 27 Sep 2014
64
56th
Frank generally (yeah, the lack of subtlety sometimes gets in the way) works beyond the tortured-genius-who-doesn't-need-success satire structure, mostly because it stands for the very core (yep, the be-yourself thing) of art: you don't need crowds to respond to or try to be something people will love, as the final song (and scenes) shows, when Fassbender finally accepts his being without a fake head and reunites with his guys (Jon's apart drinking and watching, then leaves in the last shot).
Rated 28 Sep 2014
70
64th
Quirky and odd but very likeable. Similar to the titular character then. I can't believe it's Fassbender inside that...
Rated 05 Oct 2014
80
69th
Very unique, a story about what it's like to be an outcast.
Rated 10 Oct 2014
70
53rd
Even behind that fucking mask the guy can act!
Rated 12 Oct 2014
80
86th
Clever film.
Rated 28 Oct 2014
70
34th
A celebration of the abnormal in society, and how attempts to 'normalize' those not fitting in with the status quo can only lead to counteractive effects. Specifically, it broaches the topic of mental illness in the modern age, and how there is no need for specific trauma or sordid past to cause it--it just happens. And to force a change in that dynamic is unneeded and, more significantly, dangerous. Funny and bizarre, with an unrecognizable Fassbender. The dude just owns.
Rated 10 Dec 2014
0
3rd
Weird and boring.
Rated 15 Dec 2014
51
63rd
Very likeable.
Rated 19 Dec 2014
69
34th
It's hard not to hate on the Jon character here a bit for being so unbelievably unaware but the role does work as a gut-punch in showing how much everyone needs validation in their lives. The movie didn't need to make him a rich kid as well though. Excellent ending. Fassbender is amazing as always.
Rated 28 Dec 2014
40
31st
Something experimental.
Rated 02 Jan 2015
82
88th
* Casting, Acting : 8 * Script : 8 * Directing, Aura : 7.5 * Ease of Viewing : 9 * Naked Eye : 8.5
Rated 10 Jan 2015
66
17th
Kinda felt like a waste of time, the film doesn't really hold anything new for me and when it comes to original music I'm more blown away by say Wristcutters: A Love Story (2007)(don't mind the film tittle it's not emo) in that genre. It's not a bad film tho, there are things I like about it, like franks voice and demeanor. Idk the films cleverness (even though that's what I look for in such movies) just didn't do it for me this time.
Rated 17 Jan 2015
73
57th
72.5
Rated 17 Jan 2015
80
65th
Though nothing reaches the hysterical pitch of "most likeable song ever", Frank is funny, warm, and maybe reaches a little too much for pathos. Although this is a very good film about music, it's maybe distilled a lot of "outsider" art influences into a character that seems a little bit of a mixed bag, with all too easy "explanations" for his genius.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
80
61st
Aspiring and working artists alike should appreciate this story about artistic integrity, mental illness, and friendship. Not snarky like the poster and trailer would lead you to believe--it's honest and even dark at times, but never anything less than genuine. Lovely film.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
25
5th
Too hipster, odd, cheesy, dorky, drugged out, immature, etc. I wonder why people are rating this so highly. Scratches head. You haven't heard of this film for a good reason. Skip it and watch something more worth your time.
Rated 19 Jan 2015
84
50th
One musician's journey to find himself creatively. What seems that at first ends up an exploration into the pain that can inspire creativity - or if it's even needed at all. What makes us inspired? All of this interesting writing combined with a superb (physical) performance from Michael Fassbender makes for a good film.
Rated 19 Jan 2015
68
32nd
The story was simple, but worked as a good framework for the character development and good dialogue. Fassbender was unrecognizable (in a good way) as Frank. The rest of the ensemble cast did well. Domhnall Gleeson I was unfamiliar with, but he carried the story well. While it had lots going for it, it somehow just failed to impress me that much.
Rated 20 Jan 2015
6
41st
Frank was one of the films of 2014 I was intrigued to see but knew absolutely nothing about. The result is a mixed bag though and it undeniably feels peculiar for the sake of being peculiar for the most part. But that's not to say that it certainly isn't interesting. Domnhall Gleeson is the backbone and Michael Fassbender gives an extraordinary performance. I enjoyed the bizarre musical aspects, but all the acts of unusual mental health just feel like they're thrown in to add emotional weight.
Rated 22 Jan 2015
70
19th
Fassbender is great, able to wring genuine human emotion out of that terrifying mask, and I genuinely love the music, but I felt the film was brought down by poor writing and a lame main character.
Rated 07 Feb 2015
67
52nd
One of these indy films that has an interesting idea with potential, but doesn't really succeed. Part of this might be the filmmaker's confusion on what type of film it wants to be--specifically, the filmmaker didn't seem to balance the humor and more dramatic elements very well. The arc of the main character (the wannabe musician) was a bit disappointing as well. Liked the music, which was a cross between Jim Morrison and Captain Beefheart. ps69
Rated 19 Feb 2015
80
79th
Was never in to Frank Sidebottom, loved this though. I know many people who'd fit in to The Soronprfbs and would be happy to give them a play on my show (friedgoldmusic dot com if you stumble on this)
Rated 19 Feb 2015
57
27th
Weird watching this the day after About Time (I didn't know going in that it also starred and was narrated by Domhnall Gleeson). Anyway, this was underwhelming and aimless. It felt like it wanted to explore the (perceived) connection between artistic genius and mental illness, but it never really got there. In fact, it never really got anywhere. But, it was still funny, so it gets some credit for that.
Rated 28 Feb 2015
78
69th
Some people complain about the lead and his actions, but I felt it works very well as is, especially in light of the ending where the myth of the tortured genius is torn down. Fassbender does such great work with his body that it totally overcomes the hindrance of acting while wearing that big freaky head.
Rated 15 Mar 2015
63
69th
Doesn't go anywhere, but you don't really mind.
Rated 28 Mar 2015
65
73rd
Very amusing.
Rated 03 Apr 2015
75
66th
Twists and turns through poignancy and humour to produce a provocative and original film.
Rated 11 Apr 2015
80
80th
This movie continues to grow on me after watching it. It's funny and thoughtful. The music is great and I'm not ashamed to say the soundtrack is now in my music library. Michael Fassbender is great even though we never see his face for the majority of the movie. Delighted smile.
Rated 12 May 2015
75
64th
Fassbender <3
Rated 13 May 2015
10
2nd
I really detest the trope about the obviously mentally ill person, who everyone think is oh-so-quirky and with a unique outlook on life and who therefore never gets the help they need. And everyone is going on about how the music is brilliant, when really the sound is boring and the lyrics meaningless. There are some good performances here, but if you want to watch a movie about a struggling band, there are so many better ones to pick from.
Rated 23 May 2015
80
86th
Funny but also sad story in which things are not what they appear.
Rated 22 Jun 2015
9
94th
Frank is an offbeat oddity, populated by offbeat weirdos, that teaches one of life's most difficult lessons.
Rated 15 Jul 2015
35
5th
fuck off, that isn't Frank Sidebottom
Rated 21 Jul 2015
60
54th
A creative exploration of the creative mind. Frank is film that aims to discuss what creativity is and how it can be achieved (and if it can achieved), and it is done so in a playful way.
Rated 31 Jul 2015
43
6th
Frank is odd purely for the sake of being odd
Rated 02 Aug 2015
85
82nd
Weird and erratic, but completely satisfying. Tied together with some amazing performances from the whole cast, this strange tale is a nice light compliment to any day, despite delivering some serious feels along with the chuckles. Genuinely funny and depressing at the same time, all while telling a solid tale. Very impressed.
Rated 02 Aug 2015
75
49th
This is a very strange and weird film. The story is unique and the film is well cast. There are a number of interesting and eccentric characters. The script keeps things interesting. Overall I would recommend this quirky film.
Rated 20 Aug 2015
76
43rd
He'll never be the head of a major corporation but being a band lead singer is good too. This movie about the mysterious Frank who wears a giant fake head is pretty interesting. Funny at times, a little sad at times too. One of my favorite lines was something like "I'd really like to know what's going on inside that head, inside that head". The music in the film is really strange, but kind of cool. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a few logs short of a log cabin...
Rated 30 Jan 2016
60
42nd
6- pretty good, decent
Rated 24 Mar 2016
75
39th
Schon immer war der Mix aus Wahnsinn und Kreativität die Triebfeder der Kunst. Geht das überhaupt beides: "Normal" zu sein UND kreativ? Oder andersrum: Kann man mental derangiert sein und kreativ?(...) die ganze Rezension und die (unserer Meinung nach) besten "Popart" Filme auf der Seite unserer Videothek cinegeek.de
Rated 17 Apr 2016
69
73rd
A bit of a different take on mental illness and art. I am not sure the intent was for Gleeson to be outshined by everyone else, but he was. That leads to some slow or distracting moments, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised.
Rated 24 Jul 2016
60
44th
"Frank" is definitely of the quirky sort. Occasionally funny, overall interesting and definitely memorable, it's far from compelling or emotionally engaging yet ranks as an agreeable little dramedy. Its eccentricity is probably what sets it apart yet doesn't help it break free from occasional predictabilities in the story arc.
Rated 31 Aug 2016
85
85th
What starts out as quite a silly, kncok-about whimsy shifts gears into something really, truly profound. With a fucking excellent soundtrack.
Rated 31 Oct 2016
78
63rd
Ever so slightly short of greatness. Many awesome moments that just don't quite come together well enough in the end.
Rated 22 Jan 2017
93
84th
A bizarre and oddly poignant movie, existing in the space between unbelievable and too-real.
Rated 15 Mar 2017
85
77th
An emotional view of a group of emotionally unstable individuals and the effects mental health can have one someone's ability to succeed. I enjoyed it quite a lot, however I believe if mental health is not an issue for you the film may not be quite as poignant.
Rated 10 Sep 2017
70
58th
Much like its titular character, this movie is a strange beast. Not one moment was I sure what to feel, which might have been exactly the point. It's definitely funny at times, but in the end, all moods are drown out by a deafening melancholy. Frank and his band feel like a force of nature, one that is easily destabilized once outsider Jon is introduced, but also one that seems to be unstoppable in the end.
Rated 12 Sep 2017
80
59th
From the very first frames of "Frank", I was constantly waiting in nervous anticipation for the moment the friendly facade would fade, and the titular eccentric would finally snap, but that moment never came, at least not in the way that one would expect. What you're left with, however, is a deeply affecting and refreshingly sincere glimpse into the lives of this unexpected musical family, and the way differing methods of measuring success ultimately change your entire world view. Good stuff.
Rated 31 May 2018
81
57th
81.00
Rated 26 Aug 2018
72
52nd
Cute, but sort of meanders towards its finale after plot plays out. I did appreciate the 'creation process' for the album and wish that was played with a bit more. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a standout with her thousand yard stare of crazy. Elicits the horrifying realisation of understanding you are almost certainly less talented at your favourite past-time than a socially anxious, mental trauma patient who for some reason wears a giant head mask.
Rated 01 Oct 2018
79
61st
79.00.
Rated 27 Jan 2019
70
41st
Gets really scattered and loses a lot of its momentum in the second half, and the music is never good enough to even make you think these people could break through (apart from the drummer for obvious reasons), but Abrahamson nails the delivery on so many of the dry British jokes that I couldn't help but like it. Really good "production cards to title card" sequence, too. (Is there a word for that?) If you were to make a list of the best ones, this would be up there with "Cabin in the Woods".
Rated 28 Jan 2020
59
17th
I didn’t like Frank. More accurately I didn’t like any of the characters in Frank. Through a combination of narcissism, nastiness and mediocrity, the film is follows a band of unsympathetic, pretentious musicians as they try to produce an album, tour and indulge each other’s destructive mental health tendencies. Thematically the film works, and it is well acted, but ultimately I only found a single morsel (CUNNNNNT!!!) of enjoyment in 90 minutes of gloom.
Rated 16 Sep 2020
50
31st
This was a bit disappointing after hearing some good things about it. It's clearly an original film, but the characters needed to be fleshed out more; for example Gyllenhaal's character seemed to have a lot more potential. Gleeson gets a lot of screen time but is overshadowed by others - which seems suitable for the story, but doesn't quite work. It's also not able to keep the balance between comedy and drama. It might work better for musicians as a lot of detail has been put on details.
Rated 04 Jan 2021
70
42nd
I don't think this is a great film, but it's always a fascinating one.
Rated 15 Feb 2021
82
80th
Despite the absurd tone of it, there's something profound and substantial in here. Approval and achievement is such a common desperate human currency, that we can lose something authentic along the way. This movie has very bizarre but interesting things to say about the tremendous importance of individuals who fall outside of or push the norms of conventional society.
Rated 30 May 2021
85
86th
This film holds special meaning for me, as I watched it under special conditions. The premise was great, but I felt that the ending just didn't go anywhere. ...sorta like that relationship.

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