People who “hate musicals” must be out of their minds, because, IMO, there’s one for everybody. You’ve got flashy musicals with jaw-dropping dance numbers, sappy musicals that’ll have you tearing up, and yes, even funny musicals for when you want a good laugh. And sure, not every musical is a must-watch hit (lol, remember Cats?) there are so many amazing ones out there and even more coming out every year.
There are some major movie musicals scheduled for 2021, including blockbusters like In the Heights and Stephen Spielberg’s West Side Story remake. And who could forget that the movie version of the hit Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen is coming out (and yes, it’ll star the amazing Ben Platt). Until then, ready for the recommendations? Five, six, seven, eight!
Yes, the real life P.T. Barnum was kind of a trash human being BUT seeing Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Zendaya crush every musical routine and dance number in this loosely-based-on-his-life musical is WELL worth the watch.
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Hugh Jackman is just bringing it with the movie musicals, because he also is amazing as Jean Valjean in Les Mis. Plus you’ll get to see the performance that won Anne Hathaway her Oscar (for which she gave that kinda cringey speech).
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Perfect for right now when travel is minimal, you can sing along and pretend you’re in Paris. It stars Gene Kelley (who also choreographed all the dance scenes) as a WWII vet trying to make a name for himself as a painter in Paris.
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Technically this is just a recording of the stage show about the life and times of Alexander Hamilton BUT you can stream it at home, so that’s pretty darn close to a movie. So if you spent every day entering the Hamilton lottery because you didn’t want to pay a gazillion dollars for tickets, this is as close as you’re gonna get to watching it for free. And yes, Lin-Manuel Miranda does live up to the hype.
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Please sir, can I have some more… of this movie!? It’s a lengthy watch at two and a half hours, but you’re left wanting more every time after watching Fagin and his orphaned boys pick every pocket in London.
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If nothing else, watch this for the “Matchmaker” song, because you won’t be able to stop singing it for days. And also because it’s one of the best musicals of all time.
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If you just want a cute feel-good musical, this Oscar-winner is where it’s at. It’s from 1944 and centers around two priests–the young up-and-coming priest and the old, crotchety one—which may not sound like the most exciting plot like but trust me, it’s SUCH a great movie.
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Hop on down the yellow brick road with Dorothy and her pals on their way to the Emerald City. You won’t be able to get the songs out of your head all day, but they’re all amazing so really, who cares?
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Sometimes you just wanna watch a colorful, happy musical and The Lion King is it (you know, minus that whole scene where Mufasa gets murdered by his uncle). You can’t hear Hakuna Matata without smiling.
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Find me something more dreamy than Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire starring in a musical together… I’ll wait. Hepburn plays a fashion magazine editor and Astaire plays a photographer, and the two team up to come up with the next big fashion trend.
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While we’re excited for the remake, the original star-crossed romance totally holds up.
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Show this to anyone who says musicals are too corny and cheerful for them.
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Am I nuts to say that I genuinely think this adaptation is underrated? You know how every time a Broadway musical gets adapted into a movie, there’s always one annoying new song? Hairspray is the one movie where I actually f*ck with the new songs.
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The stage musical won a Pulitzer, NBD, and the movie adaptation is…totally wild in a ’70s way. Weirdly perfect for anyone who likes So You Think You Can Dance or The Masked Singer, since the whole thing is about a competitive audition.
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I mean, it’s an absolute classic. But I won’t tell anybody if you skip that dream ballet within a dream ballet.
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Barbra Streisand may be more known for movie musicals like Funny Girl or even Yentl, making this low-key a hidden gem. Bonus: It’s Wall-E’s favorite musical. Remember how that Pixar movie opens with “Put on Your Sunday Clothes”?
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Did you know there’s a jukebox musical starring George MacKay from 1917 and Antonia Thomas from The Good Doctor (or Lovesick or Misfits, if you’re a British television lover). There is! Go watch it!
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Technically, this is a biopic…but it so desperately wants to be a musical, don’t you think? I’m totally counting it.
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Twist! The original Mamma Mia is great, obviously, but somehow the sequel is better?? Sorry, I don’t make the rules.
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This one is fighting West Side Story for the GOAT movie musical, IMO. The plot doesn’t quite hold up, but the dance numbers are *fire* and the songs are super catchy.
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This funny, creepy, and super horny musical a cult classic for a reason.
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I recently referred to this musical as “the one that taught straight boys in drama club how to riff,” and I stand by it.
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Don’t think too hard about the gender politics on this one. The music still slaps, and that’s all that matters.
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Tired: The Wizard of Oz. Wired and inspired? This updated Motown adaptation.
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“Cell Block Tango” for life! Plus, if you’re the kind of person who’s all “Why are they always breaking into song?” about musicals…well, first of all, you’re boring, but second of all, Chicago justifies that by making every musical number a dream sequence.
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Why isn’t Amy Adams in more musicals?! I bet you forgot how good this movie is. While I’m still mad that Idina Menzel doesn’t have a song in this pre-Frozen world, “How Does She Know” is maybe one of the best musical numbers ever put to film.
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I am also obviously a huge fan of High School Musical 2 and Senior Year, but it’s hard to beat the OG that reinvented the Disney Channel Original Movie and made singing teens cool again, way before Glee.
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Literally do not ever talk to me about the Tim Burton reboot. It does not exist.
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Might be a little jarring to revisit this one after watching Evan Rachel Wood on Westworld, but Julie Taymor’s film is nothing short of magical.
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Try to find a musical more charming than this Irish coming-of-age film about boys who rebel against their teachers and start a band that copies every ridiculous ’80s trope you’ve ever heard of.
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While we’re across the pond, this indie Irish romance will break your heart and sooth you with all of the beautiful Glen Hansard songs.
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Only ’90s kids remember this super cute musical about another teenage band that shoots to fame.
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If you had a friend who took voice lessons in the 2000s, you’ve probably heard at least one of these songs. Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan play a couple who meet, marry, and divorce within the span of five years. Kendrick’s songs start at the end and go back, Jordan’s start from the beginning, and they meet for one duet in the middle. Heartbreaking.
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Come for Dick Van Dyke‘s hilariously bad Cockney accent, and stay for a musical that’s heartwarming even when it’s sad and silly when it’s serious. Mary Poppins Returns ain’t so bad, either!
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Another cult classic whose rock songs are on another level entirely.
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An underrated indie, this one is inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s about a gay teenage boy who gets revenge on his bullies (and his crush) by turning them gay, too, which is so 2008.
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This musical has Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Rigg (Olenna “Tell Cersei It Was Me” Tyrell from Game of Thrones). This has been a PSA.
Currently seeking one (1) phonetics professor to “fix” my accent and be a little rude to me.
Shout-out to everyone who awkwardly sang “Come What May” at their middle school talent show.
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It was already a good musical, but then the movie cast Beyoncé? And we started thinking about how the plot mirrors Bey’s own career? And also Jennifer Hudson is going off? Game changer.
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You deserve to watch The Muppet Movie in all its wacky musical glory.
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The first movie is so good, and when Ben Platt starts singing at the end…reader, I cried. Aca-ouldn’t believe it either.
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The ending is weirdly depressing for a film based on Old Hollywood romance, and I’ll never get over the fact that the song above is about *checks notes* the importance of networking, but hey! It almost won the Best Picture Oscar.
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Since we’re talking about La La Land, we simply must acknowledge the French film that inspired it. Jacques Demy’s film has that same candy-colored yet melancholy quality.
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Another old musical that’s off the beaten path, Stormy Weather stars Lena Horne and an almost entirely African American cast—which was super rare for 1943.
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If you don’t immediately follow “Cinderella” with “the one with Brandy,” we cannot be friends.
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No disrespect to the original movie, but the 1999 TV remake is way less problematic.
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10/10 would let Oscar Isaac sing me sad folk songs at any time. Also, huge kudos to whatever Adam Driver is doing in this movie—I am obsessed with it.
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There’s, like, a million versions of A Star Is Born but, like, AS IF I was gonna not choose the one with “Shallow.”
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This movie’s not perfect, but Chris Pine certainly is, and “Last Midnight” is uhhhh…a mood.
