Movies and musicals take our normal, ho-hum human experiences and turn them into ginormous explosions of emotion. On their own, these forms provide catharsis, but when you combine them? Buckle your culture-lovin' seatbelts, baby. Movie musicals have been around since the very beginning of film history, which begins with the borrowing of devices and talent from the creators of stage musicals. With the ability to finesse and craft set pieces you simply could not in a real-life time-and-space theatrical setting, movie musicals likeThe Wizard of Oz,Singin' in the Rain, andThe Umbrellas of Cherbourgbecame the symbols of filmic creativity, ingenuity, prestige, and good old-fashioned popcorn fun.
But as we’ve made our way into this 21st century, beginning with the year 2000, the movie musical has become something of an exception rather than a rule of cinematic expectations and impulses. In other words, when a contemporary movie musical comes out, it “means something.” So, with the 2024 release of a certain “popular” movie musical, it’s the perfect time to analyze these 21st-century exceptions.These are the 25 best movie musicals of the 21st century, celebrating the glory of music, dance, and losing oneself in the magic of cinema.
25’The Greatest Showman' (2017)
Directed by Michael Gracey
The one requirement forThe Greatest Showmanis to simply accept that it is not (nor does it really attempt to be) a truthful account ofP.T. Barnum’s life, which is oddly fitting given its main character. Instead,The Greatest Showmanconstantly shoots for uplift and joywith a terrific litany of songs fromBenjPasekandJustinPaulconstructed with some really artful and impressive direction fromMichael Gracey, making his feature debut.
You also have a terrific cast leaning into this version of Barnum’s story,withHugh Jackmanperfectly endearingas the sweet-if-misguided showman. Like any good musical, these songs are bound to get stuck in your head, but you’re not going to mind when you’re fist-pumping to “This Is Me” for the 400th time.– Matt Goldberg
The Greatest Showman
24’Pitch Perfect' (2012)
Directed by Jason Moore
The 21st century has been dominated by pop music, and in that way, 2012’sPitch Perfectmay be one of the musicals thatbest encapsulates the dominating musical taste of an era. Directed byJason Mooreand written byKay Cannon, the film started as a witty twist on the boon of competitive a capella groups but, somewhere along the way, morphed into a sharp college comedy packed with killer renditions of pop songs.
Oscar nomineeAnna Kendrickand scene-stealerRebel Wilsonlead an effortlessly charming cast that’s heavy on both vocal and comedic talent. The sequels fell far short of the same kind of magic that madePitch Perfecta hit, but the first film still stands as a tremendously watchable and catchy good time.– Adam Chitwood
Pitch Perfect
23’Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping' (2010)
Directed by Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer
There’s some confusion about what exactly qualifies a film as a “musical.” It feels like the correct answer is somewhere along the lines of “any film featuring non-diegetic musical numbers performed by the characters to explain their motivations and advance the narrative,” but that definition would exclude movies likeSing.Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, the 2016 comedy fromThe Lonely Island(Andy Samberg,Jorma Taccone, andAkiva Schaffer), isn’t a musical in the classic sense, but it is 100% a comedyaboutmusic, featuring roughly a dozen hilarious original songs by narcissistic fictional megastar Connor4Real (Samberg).
The songs are legitimate bops, and many of them are performed in elaborate stage numbers that are both funny as hell and quite impressive.
The film follows Connor as he embarks on a massive tour to promote the release of his hotly-anticipated sophomore album. In addition to beinga razor-sharp satire of pop music superstarsand the superficial lifestyle of social media influencers, the songs are legitimate bops, and many of them are performed in elaborate stage numbers that are both funny as hell and quite impressive. It also features a number of fun cameos from the music industry, including standout bits involvingAdam Levine,Seal, andJustin Timberlake.- Tom Reimann
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22’Dancer in the Dark' (2000)
Directed by Lars Von Trier
Dancer in the Dark, likemany ofLars von Trier’s movies, can feel overly, even unfairly punitive.Björk’s leading character is a poor factory worker with an eye condition and a desire to stop her son from suffering what she has as a result of vile circumstances and, more tellingly, vile human nature. Her suffering happens in unsparing, grimly constructed detail; one of von Trier’s more smeary Dogme 95 works shot on gnarly DV tape.
But if you stare amid this path toward human annihilation, you will find a ton of beauty, escape, andone of the wildest usages of the musical form. When the banal evils of Björk’s life become too much to bear, she subsumes herself into a musical fantasy world. Suddenly, the colors brighten, the cameras become more intentionally composed, and the world turns into a song-and-dance fantasia where things dip their toes into the pool of “making sense.” This dichotomy in styles, in truth versus fantasy, makes for a gripping, gritty watch, a film that retains a blunt power of efficacy in all kinds of emotional directions. -Gregory Lawrence
Dancer in the Dark
21’Frozen' (2013)
Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck
Frozenis clearly one of Disney’s most popular and most successful films in the 21st century, but it’s also one of their best. The movie feels like an adaptation of a Broadway musical, even though it’s really a loose adaptation ofHans Christian Andersen’s fairy taleThe Snow Queen.Kristen BellandIdina Menzelcreate real magic with their voices in service of a familiar but unexpectedly fresh take on sisterhood.
The songs drive the story, and songwritersRobert LopezandKristen Anderson-Lopezexpertly weavea tale of rejection, familial love, and acceptancethroughout this phenomenal soundtrack. “Let It Go” was a years-long earworm for a reason, but the childlike wonder of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” and the silly hilarity of “In Summer” solidify this as one of the best musicals and musical soundtracks of the 21st century.– Adam Chitwood
20’Happy Feet' (2006)
Directed by George Miller
George Miller’s odd, dark, and often funanimated look at the lives of singing and dancing penguins belongs on this list if for no other reason than this: when the film was screened forPrinceto get his approval to use his song “Kiss,” he ended up liking it so much thathe wrote an original song for it. The concept of a movie musical is baked into the core DNA ofHappy Feet, as we learn an important fact about penguins previously unknown to the human world — when adult penguins are trying to find their perfect mates, they sing their “heartsongs” to find out what songs might be compatible.
The mash-ups of pop/rock favorites like “Boogie Wonderland,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Somebody to Love,” “I Wish,” and more are very solid, with the added bonus of the great voice cast lending their vocal talents. While some slight emotional scarring may occur after viewing (those seals werescary), Miller remains a master of theslightly disturbing but ultimately charming family film. -Liz Shannon Miller
Happy Feet
19’Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' (2018)
Directed by Ol Parker
There are classic sequels that are regarded as vast improvements over their predecessors. Then, there’sMamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which takes theGodfather Part IIapproach of being both a sequel and a prequel to the first film. The first film was cute and charming, basically feeling like a group of great actors just going on vacation to Greece and doing an epic week of drinking, dancing, and karaoke singing while someone brought a camera along. However,Here We Go Againactually feels like a proper movie.
The story has some nuance to it, the characters have depth and arcs to them, and the actors actually look like they’re trying. And even if you lose oneMeryl Streep, you winLily James,Andy Garcia, and freakingCher— and Cher makes everything better. This is as close as you get toa contemporary take on a classic Hollywood musical-turned-summer blockbuster. The musical numbers actually move the story along through visual storytelling while the choreography is shot like classic MGM musicals, and there are some visually impressive camera movements and editing tricks done to merge timelines and story threads.- Rafael Motamayor
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
18’Moana' (2016)
Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements
With a resume of beloved Disney animated musical classics that includesThe Little MermaidandAladdin, writers/directorsRon ClementsandJohn Muskerhit the mark again with 2016’sMoana. This time with a musical assist fromHamilton’sLin-Manuel Miranda, who co-wrote the film’s songs alongsideOpetaia Foa’iandMark Mancina. The result is acharming, catchy-as-hell reinvention of the Disney princess narrative.
Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) isn’t your average fairytale princess ready to risk it all for love; she’s the future leader of her people, an ambitious, clever, and athletic hero chosen by the ocean for a mythic adventure that brings her face-to-face with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson). The mythology and magic that made Clements and Musker’s previous films such favorites are on full display, butMoana‘s not-so-secret weapon is the enchanting soundtrack, a fusion of traditional music and belting Broadway numbers. -Haleigh Foutch
17’The Muppets' (2011)
Directed by James Bobin
2011’sThe Muppetsgives fans of these felt-constructed mischief-makers (and Kermit, who’s just trying to hold the mischief together) everything they’d want in a musical comedy version while charting identities of their own.The Muppets, featuringstar and co-writerJason Segel, is full of heart, its standout songs being tearjerkers like “Pictures in My Head” and Oscar-winner “Man or Muppet.”
A successful reinvention of a classic and beloved formula,The Muppetsgivesa broad, clean overview of what the titular characters can provide. Moreover, this charming and contagious musical makes audiences keenly aware of the prodigious talents of directorJames Bobinand songwriterBret McKenzie. -Gregory Lawrence
The Muppets
16’Wicked' (2024)
Directed by John M. Chu
The massively popular musicalWickedtook its sweet time to get to the silver screen, but the wait was worth it — for the most part, anyway. Academy Award nomineeCynthia Erivostars as Elphaba, the notorious green witch who forms an unexpected bond with the pink-obsessed Galinda (Ariana Grande) and discovers dangerous secrets about her land and the mysterious wizard who rules it.
Although suitably larger-than-life,Wickedis also surprisingly stale and lacking in the whimsy and charm of its stage source material. The grey, washed-up cinematography fails to convey the magic of Oz, so it’s up to the lead actresses to sell the fantasy aspect of the story. Luckily,Erivo and Grande rise to the challenge, doing justice to these iconic characters and ultimately makingWickeda worthwhile offering with irresistible songs and a few jaw-dropping sequences. -David Caballero
