User reviews

I like how this doco largely is narrated by ABBA themselves. It is slavishly even-handed and tries to be sympathetic to Agnetha, who at the height of their fame had two children but had to tour extensively. Oh, and go through a divorce.

I like the music they play, especially the unusual sessions like the TV special with Olivia Newton-John and Andy Gibb. The program exaggerates how tough ABBA had it - I mean, they got very rich and millions adored them. What more did they want? Still, it is quite touching when Anni-Frid and Agnetha are asked are they happy and they say life has ups and downs, and "some of the time".

I love the bit about them singing Chiquitita in Spanish.

This is very much a promotion, but it is entertaining.

I have been extremely fond of ABBA since I first heard their music -- in the 1970's on the radio! I must have reacted really emotionally to the radio broadcast, because my girlfriend at the time asked me: "Do you know them?". My feelings toward ABBA lasted way longer than the developing toxic relationship with this girl -- (She said she was a former stripper and had a child of 2 out of wedlock at the time.) Perhaps you get the idea.

Anyway: ABBA: This film tied together the bits and pieces of their lives and careers I'd gleaned over the years; but this film put everything into proper perspective and chronological order! I found the film to be very honest about four people who simply poured everything they had into their careers, families, and their live touring. I may be inaccurate here, but where else can you find 4 people with successful music careers of their own, who came together, got married (Boy-girl, boy-girl) some had children, got divorced -- all the while maintaining a world-renowned musical career that lasted about 7+ years? I don't know of any other. As a bonus, the girls were/are world-class gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!

BTW: Agnetha's (the blonde) vocal range is B2 to E7! For music folks that should mean a lot! There was an Olivia Newton John show where Agnetha even sang, briefly with the fabulous falsetto voice of Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, and you can hear Agnetha had to lower her soprano voice to match Barry's own incredible voice! Yes, folks, she's not just beautiful, but extremely vocally gifted as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film; both emotionally, and as a documentary. I encourage you to see this film, perhaps even if you are too young to have ever heard of ABBA! You MUST have heard at least "Dancing Queen" -- in now even plays in supermarkets as background music.

I wish it was better because it deserved to be, but it was all over the place in terms of the timeline. Nothing was really in chronilogical order, which was a shame.

They moved from one album to the next, but the next was the album before they just went over, so it needed some real good re-editing.

Knowing Me, Knowing You is covered, but that album came after the next song, Dancing Queen, in the documentary. It made no sense, and some of the stuff was repeated too many times like Agnetha's fear of flying, she literally talked about that 5-6 times.

And the biggest shame is they did't interview any of the band members for this documentary, it's all old footage.

ABBA: Against the Odds sets out to celebrate the Swedish supergroup's improbable rise to global fame. Instead, it feels like a poorly edited therapy session for the press corps who never understood them. What should have been a vibrant exploration of ABBA's creative genius becomes a tedious parade of bad headlines, awkward interviews, and baffling editorial choices.

Where It Falls Flat

• Script and Editing: Amateur Hour

The pacing is erratic, the transitions jarring, and the narrative arc barely coherent. It's as if someone shuffled the timeline in a blender and hit "melancholy purée."

• Reporters Ask the Dumbest Questions

The documentary features a parade of journalists who seem more interested in Agnetha's love life than the band's musical innovation. One actually asks, "Do you feel guilty for being successful?"-as if ABBA's harmonies were a war crime.

• Obsessed with the Press

Nearly half the runtime is devoted to dissecting negative media coverage. Yes, ABBA faced snobbery. But dwelling on it this long feels like the filmmakers are trying to win an argument from 1979.

• Creative Genius? Barely Touched

Where's the deep dive into their songwriting? Their studio experimentation? The melodic architecture of The Visitors? Instead, we get montages of tabloid clippings and sad piano music.

• A Portrait in Pity

The film paints ABBA's personal lives in relentless shades of gray. Divorce, isolation, anxiety-it's all here, with barely a moment to celebrate the joy, wit, and brilliance that made their music immortal.

Final Verdict ABBA deserved a documentary that matched their artistry-bold, layered, and emotionally intelligent. Against the Odds instead offers a shallow, uneven portrait that fixates on their struggles while ignoring the very magic that made them legendary. It's not a tribute. It's a missed opportunity.