Dancing Queens: A Netflix Movie - Non-Spoiler Review

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🇸🇪 DANCING QUEENS 🇸🇪

Dancing Queens (2021) is a Swedish Netflix Original feature film. 1hr 50min. Swedish with subtitles and available dubbed. 15 Cert U.K.

Premise:

“Dylan Pettersson is a 23-year-old girl from a small island in the Bohuslän archipelago with big dancing aspirations. When she’s talked into cleaning at the struggling drag club Queens, the club’s star dancer and choreographer Victor accidentally discovers Dylan’s talent. She desperately wants to be a part of the show, but she’s a girl – and it’s a drag show. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way” IMDb

Cast:

Molly Nutley as Dylan Petterson
Rakel Wärmländer as Vera
Max Ulveson as Sebbe
Christopher Wollter as Micke Seth
Fredrik Quiñones as Victor
Claes Malmberg as Tommy La Diva
Mattias Nordkvist as Kenneth Petterson
Marie Göranzon as Margareta
Emil Almén as Magnus
Robert Fux as himself
Razmus Nyström as Sasha

Crew:

Director: Helena Bergström
Writers: Helena Bergström & Denize Karabunda
Music: Gaute Storas

Theatrical poster for Dancing Queens film on Netflix

Notes:

Much of this movie is filmed in the small town of Ulricehamn, Sweden.

The director and writer of Dancing Queens, Helena Bergström, is also an award-winning actress.

Emil Almén is a familiar face from Gåsmamman, Real Humans and Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves.

Mattias Nordkvist has appeared in The Restaurant, White Wall and Snöänglar.

Christopher Wollter is known for Quicksand, Greyzone, Heder and Modus.

Molly Nutley is known for Thicker Than Water and Gåsmamman. She is the daughter of Swedish actress Helena Bergström and the English director Colin Nutley.

Rakel Wärmländer is best known for The Sandhamn Murders, Alex and Gåsmamman.

Claes Malmberg has a career that stretches back over 3 decades.

Image of some of the cast of Dancing Queens in drag

Review:

I do not generally watch films about dance. That’s not to say that I dislike them – after all, I was brought up on movies such as Singin’ In the Rain – but the genre has never been at the top of my list. Chasing your dreams has been done multiple times in a variety of ways, so I was interested to see if the new Netflix movie Dancing Queens had anything new to add.

Molly Nutley as Dylan Petterson at a grave side.

For me, a real positive of this film is that it takes a young woman who is “stuck” because of bereavement and allows her to move forwards. There are several characters in Dancing Queens who are in the same position, her father along with the “star” of the drag club. Much of Dancing Queens is about the impact of loss and how to then cope with it.

Dylan is encouraged to pursue her dreams by her grandmother and this is a film about grit in overcoming obstacles as well, ultimately, about being honest and open about who you really are.

Of course, the whole girl dressing as a boy to deceive is nothing new (think Shakespeare) but in this case, it does have the extra twist of her performing in drag.

Christopher Wallter as Micky (left) Claes Malmberg as Tommy La Diva (centre) and Molly Nutley as Dylan (right with back to camera) own Dancing Queens

I thought the whole cast in this was very good with Molly Nutley giving a nuanced performance (aside from her impressive dancing). Christopher Wallter was a standout for me as the struggling (in a variety of ways) director Micke.

Personally, I loved the scenes set in the drag club, the characters and their dynamics. Having a film with its focus set within the LBGTQ community is not exactly earth-shattering but this is a slightly different take and the messages of acceptance and diversity are clearly written.

Fredrik Quiñones as Victor in Dancing Queens

As I mentioned earlier I am not a great one for dance films but I do love dance and dancing (yes, I am THAT embarrassing dancing mother at parties!) I very much enjoyed all the dancing in this and found a couple of the “numbers” quite wonderful. This film is to a certain extent a celebration of dance. I thought Fredrik Quiñones was stunning as Victor and loved his dancing. Molly Nutley too, very impressive.

Fredrik Quiñones as Victor (left) and Molly Nutley as Dylan (right) in Dancing Queens

I have read criticisms about this film being overly long, but honestly, I found it so entertaining that I did not look at the time once. It could perhaps have benefitted from being 20 minutes shorter.

Although Dancing Queens has its sad and dark moments all in all it is a fun, refreshing, entertaining and celebratory film that has its heart in the right place. For those who want to watch an uplifting film during what have been gloomy times for many, I can recommend Dancing Queens.