'TÍU' Review: An Intimate Jam Sesh With Of Monsters and Men | Tribeca 2022
NR
Runtime: 45 Minutes
Production Companies: N/A
Distributor: N/A
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar Þórhallsson, Kristján Páll Kristjánsson, Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, Brynjar Leifsson
Release Date: N/A
TRIBECA 2022 Coverage
Tíu is a visual and sonic adventure into the world of the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men, as they prepare to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their groundbreaking first album “My Head is an Animal.”
During the early 2010s—when I was a wee teen trying to figure out my taste in music—I discovered the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men. Their debut album My Head is an Animal shaped me through some of my high school years. To this day, I still hold a ton of their music near and dear to me. So, when I was checking out the Tribeca 2022 lineup, I got a bit giddy over an Of Monsters and Men doc directed by Dean DeBlois. Yeah, that Dean DeBlois, of Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon trilogy fame. When he isn’t helming animated bangers, he’s hanging with bands like Sigur Ros and making concert docs for them.
So… one of my favorite bands, Dean DeBlois, and a 45-minute run time? It sounds like a recipe for my bias to take over and give a five-star review on the spot. Well… Nah. I have to be professional.
Tiu is more like a visual album for their latest EP of the same name. You get to hang out with members Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar Þórhallsson, Brynjar Leifsson, Kristján Páll Kristjánsson, and Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson around their home country of Iceland as they play music from the EP in various locations. Between the music sessions, you get interviews with the band recounting their past together.
With a two-person camera team of DeBlois and Ninna Pálmadóttir, part of the intimate atmosphere stems from the beautiful vistas of Iceland that are displayed onscreen. The music sequences often take place in exterior locations, from a poolside to a boat, and it’s as if you’re right there with them. DeBlois clearly loves Icelandic folk bands and their country because every shot—from the landscapes to the band occupying various locations—is visually stunning. He made me add Iceland to my vacation bucket list.
If you’ve been following the band for as long as I have, you know that the last few albums went from being boisterous and full of life to soft and reflective. Nothing is wrong with that. If anything, it elevates the doc’s atmosphere to be ethereal and laid-back. It feels personal and connects you with the band on an intimate level. Despite that, it leaves much to be desired for people wanting to get to know the members on a personal basis. At best, the only insight you get is Nanna’s connection with her great grandmother and how Ragnar hates nostalgia (respect, though).
TÍU is meant to be a fun jam sesh for an EP. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s a surface-level visual album that centralizes on the band’s longevity, exploring the beautiful vistas of Iceland while listening to the recordings of a pretty darn good EP. If you’re wanting anything more than that, you ain’t getting it. If you're a die-hard Of Monsters and Men fan, this doc is strictly for you.
