ABBA: The Movie

Ashley Wallace, a naïve late-night DJ on Radio 2TW, is tasked by his boss with securing not just an interview but a dialogue with ABBA to air on the day they leave Australia. He has never conducted an interview before, which adds to the pressure and stakes of the mission. The assignment comes with a strict expectation of access across multiple cities.

Ashley forgets his press card and struggles to buy a concert ticket, which immediately complicates his ability to get close to ABBA. The setback foreshadows the obstacles he’ll face throughout the tour. He grapples with the frustration of both professional and logistical hurdles.

Armed with a reel-to-reel tape recorder, Ashley begins following ABBA from city to city across Australia. He hopes to document candid moments and secure the much-anticipated dialogue, no matter the distance or difficulty. The journey clocks in as a makeshift but determined pursuit.

While on the road, Ashley interviews members of the public about ABBA, collecting a mix of opinions. Most responses are positive, but a few express frustration or skepticism, including a man whose ABBA-obsessed son drives him mad and a girl who thinks ABBA are over the top. The segments provide a human counterpoint to the touring spectacle.

Ashley faces repeated run-ins with ABBA’s protective bodyguard and his increasingly exasperated boss. The tension comes from trying to keep up with the group’s movements while not compromising his chance for a real interview. The obstacles heighten the sense of urgency and intrusion into his personal sanity.

In a lucky turn, Ashley meets Stig Anderson in the foyer of ABBA’s hotel and is offered help arranging an interview, plus tickets to that evening’s concert. The informal encounter signals a potential breakthrough after weeks of chasing. It injects a renewed sense of possibility into the mission.

Despite the promise from Anderson, Ashley sleeps through the scheduled interview time and misses the chance to talk with ABBA that evening. The setback creates a further delay and heightens his anxiety about meeting the deadline. He must scramble for another opportunity before the radio show airs.

Just as hope seems lost, Ashley encounters ABBA in an elevator and they give him an interview on the spot. The spontaneity in the moment provides the immediacy and authenticity the piece needs. He breathes a small sigh of relief as the interview is recorded for broadcast.

With only minutes to spare, Ashley makes the final edits in the back of a taxi on the way from the hotel to the airport. The clock ticks down as he pieces together the interview for transmission. The urgency mirrors the countdown to the radio show’s air time.

ABBA leaves Australia for Europe as Ashley races the clock to deliver the broadcast. The departure marks the end of the physical chase but the start of the broadcast’s final leg. The rhythm of the journey now shifts to the studio and the airwaves.

Back at the Radio 2TW studio, Ashley loads the tape into the playback machine and prepares for the live broadcast. The moment arrives when the interview goes on the air, finally realizing the boss’s demand for a genuine dialogue. The crowd may hear the choppy, late-night chaos that led to success.

The broadcast marks the culmination of Ashley’s relentless pursuit, achieving a live interview despite missteps and a frantic itinerary. The film closes on a note of relief mixed with lingering pressure from balancing work and ambition. The success is tempered by the long, exhausting journey that preceded it.