Overview
An aspiring musician's journey takes a bizarre turn when he joins a band led by a mysterious figure in a giant mask.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- melancholic
- indie movie night
- music film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as funny, clever, heartfelt, and unusually thought-provoking, while noting some weakness in how its plot develops toward the end.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jon joins Frank's mysterious band hoping to become a songwriter, but the group's uncompromising methods challenge his desire for recognition.
Frank's giant artificial head conceals Michael Fassbender's face throughout much of the film, making performance and concealment inseparable.
Jon, Frank, Clara, Don, Baraque, and Nana depend on their band for friendship and purpose while their personal conflicts threaten its cohesion.
The band's absurd music-making and Frank's enigmatic persona coexist with increasingly troubling signs of emotional instability.
Films like Frank, and why
The Commitments
Shares offbeat music-world comedy, eccentric collaborators, and a tender examination of artistic identity.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Combines unconventional humor, outsider musicians, and emotionally bruised character relationships in a distinctive indie style.
Inside Llewyn Davis
Features awkward creative ambition, darkly comic self-discovery, and a psychologically complicated outsider protagonist.
Being John Malkovich
Pairs surreal comic invention with themes of identity, artistic performance, and fragile friendship.
Movie Details
- Director
- Lenny Abrahamson
- Release Date
- 2014-05-09
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1774)
Cast
- Michael Fassbender
- Domhnall Gleeson
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Scoot McNairy
- François Civil
- Carla Azar
- Tess Harper
- Bruce McIntosh
- Hayley Derryberry
- Lauren Poole
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, fuboTV, Netflix Standard with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Frank about?
- An ambitious young songwriter joins a masked cult band and discovers that artistic eccentricity can be both liberating and dangerously fragile.
- What is Frank like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Frank as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Frank violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Frank.
- What did critics think of Frank?
- Critics broadly praised the film as funny, clever, heartfelt, and unusually thought-provoking, while noting some weakness in how its plot develops toward the end.
- Which films are like Frank?
- Films with a similar feel include The Commitments, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Being John Malkovich.
- How long is Frank?
- Frank runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Frank?
- In United States, Frank streams on Netflix, fuboTV, Netflix Standard with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel.
