Frank (film)

Frank is a 2014 independent black comedy film directed by Lenny Abrahamson, produced by David Barron, Ed Guiney and Stevie Lee and written by Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan.

[7] While walking along the beach in his hometown, aspiring songwriter Jon Burroughs witnesses a man named Lucas trying to drown himself.

The Soronprfbs' drummer Nana, synthesizer and theremin player Clara, and guitarist Baraque are reluctant to accept Jon, but he is warmly welcomed by lead vocalist Frank, who always wears a papier-mâché mask over his head.

He agrees and accompanies them to a remote cabin in Ireland, believing it will only take a few days, only to realize they are set to stay there for a whole year.

The next day, Don reveals they are being evicted from the cabin, but Jon offers to pay the outstanding rent using his grandfather's inheritance.

After completing their debut album, the band finds what appears to be Frank's corpse hanging from a tree, but remove the mask and discover it is actually Don.

Jon reveals that he has been secretly uploading the band's recording sessions on social media, earning them a small fan following and an invitation to perform at South by Southwest.

After numerous failed attempts, he finally succeeds in tracking Frank to his hometown of Bluff City, Kansas, where he is living with his parents.

Frank's parents explain that he has suffered from severe mental health issues most of his life, and began wearing the mask as a teenager after his dad made it for him for an alleged costume party.

[15] Jon Ronson, who co-wrote the film, was part of Sidebottom's band,[16] and the plot began as an adaptation of his writings but later became a fictional take on it.

The website's critical consensus states, "Funny, clever, and endearingly unusual, Frank transcends its quirky trappings with a heartfelt — and surprisingly thought-provoking — story.

Person with a Frank mask at Sziget Festival 2015