Ten fishermen from Cornwall achieve a Top 10 hit after they are signed to Universal Records by a cynical London music executive.
Fisherman's Friends is the sophomore directorial feature for Chris Foggin (after 2015's Kids in Love) and is based on a true story about a group of Cornish fishermen from Port Isaac that like to sing sea shanties. Realistically speaking, there isn't a lot to this story. It's basic, straightforward, and even with unnecessary extraneous subplots being added to the script, there is nothing that stands out.
That isn't to say that the film has no appeal, though. There is a definite homely charm to Fisherman's Friends thanks to the acapella performances incorporated into the film. The actual male singing group were involved in the film both as cameo appearances, and singing with the actors to ensure that the signature sound was present. Full of energy, rhythm, and some gorgeous harmonies, the music feels undeniably masculine and ancestral.
The overall tone is light-hearted with the expected style British humour, coming across in a similar vein to Swimming With Men (another biographical film that from 2018). With all members of the real-life group consulting on the screenplay, there is a clear direction in the development and portrayal of the characters that make this a conflict-free and inoffensive film like Bohemian Rhapsody, rather than a more honest exposé (like Rocketman) that utilises the ups and downs.
This is apparent in the very one-dimensional portrayal of the characters. Stereotyped to an almost caricature level, only two of the group getting any form of backstory (which is unfortunate, considering the real Fisherman's friends had 14 members in its ranks over the years. There have been proper tragedies in the band's history, but they are relegated to an offhanded summary of future events prior to the end credits.
This lack of development of the band itself is what leads to the need for extra subplots, This is not an origin story, so there is less of the group's history on show. With the inclusion of what could be best described as a love letter to pubs and an unnecessary romantic interest, the story of the Fisherman's Friends ends up being pushed to the background, used more as a framing mechanism for the other dramatic elements
Still, this will appeal to those audiences that enjoy that family-friendly, community-driven sense of nationality. There is little to entice the youth, but for the more mature audiences, the music alone will be enough to bring a smile to the face.