Movie musicals are a beloved genre, allowing audiences to experience a musical without the expense of going to the theater. Some are adaptations of stage shows, some use pre-existing music, and some are wholly original. All kinds of movie musicals often develop die-hard fanbases, with some going on to win widespread acclaim.
One of the most enduring genres out there, there are decades of movie musicals stretching back almost as long as sound has been in films. Despite the vast number of well-received musicals, some stand out above the rest. Some stand out for their stellar music, their cinematographic achievements, or simply being hugely enjoyable.
10 Les Miserables Brings The West End To The Silver Screen
Les Miserables is one of the most famous stage shows of all time. Les Miserables is an adaptation of a Victor Hugo novel, following an escaped convict and his daughter, entangled in the ill-fated June Rebellion. The stage show is a pragmatic adaptation, stripping away huge parts of the novel, and the film is a further refinement.
Les Miserables also makes use a 'live singing' approach. Actors sing as they act their scenes, rather than recording their songs in a studio and lip-syncing. This bold choice earned the musical praise from many. Some of the singing performances were criticized - particularly that of Russell Crowe. Nonetheless, Les Miserables brought the stage show to a wider audience, and won approval.
9 A Star Is Born (2018) Is A Pitch-Perfect Remake
A Star Is Born is one of the most-remade movies of all time, with five separate versions in existence. Its most recent outing, directed by and starring Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut, proved to be a massive success. A Star Is Born did well at the box office, receiving critical acclaim, and nominations for eight Academy Awards.
Telling a simple yet emotional story of stardom and love, A Star Is Born combines excellent performances from its cast with acclaimed music - including the Oscar-winning Shallow. Although some took umbrage with aspects of its plot, it remains widely-beloved by musical audiences.
8 Grease Is A Beloved Classic
As far as movie musicals go, Grease is one of the best-known. The 1978 film tells a story set in a 1950s high school. Grease elevates a fairly simple romantic comedy plot of a gang leader falling for an innocent exchange student through its singing, dancing, performances, and aesthetics into cinematic history.
Noted for several of its songs - including Greased Lightning, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Summer Nights and more, Grease retains pop culture prominence over forty years after its release. Grease remains a popular choice among audiences.
7 La La Land Is A Throwback To Musical Greatness
La La Land ultimately became most notorious due to an Oscars controversy where it was falsely announced as the winner. Among fans, La La Land is remembered for its sheer quality - the very same quality that got it nominated for the Oscar in question.
Designed as a loving tribute to classic movie musicals, La La Land nonetheless distinguishes itself. Noted for its cinematography, music, choreography, and even for its storyline, audiences and critics alike could find few flaws in La La Land.
6 The Wizard Of Oz Shines In Its Musical Sequences
The Wizard Of Oz isn't best-known as a movie musical, but contains several sections devoted to characters singing about their situations and emotions. Some of those songs have gone on to be iconic, including Judy Garland's rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
In addition to its musical significance, The Wizard Of Oz is considered a standout classic, particularly for its technology. It was one of the first films to make use of technicolor. Even with its singing being largely set dressing rather than the point, there is no denying the significance of The Wizard Of Oz.
5 The Sound Of Music Earns Its Runtime
An adaptation of a stage show relating real events, The Sound Of Music follows the Von Trapp family of singers during the German annexation of Austria in the late 1930s. Focusing on the family's governess-turned-stepmother Maria von Trapp, The Sound Of Music boasts a staggering runtime of nearly three hours. This includes an intermission.
Despite this, The Sound Of Music is commonly agreed to work with that runtime, delivering widely-beloved songs and an engaging plot. Even when The Sound Of Music takes a much darker turn, it justifies some truly heartwrenching musical sequences, earning its place in movie musical history.
4 West Side Story (2021) Sensitively Upgrades A Classic
West Side Story (1961) told a story inspired by Romeo And Juliet. West Side Story depicted conflict between white and Puerto Rican street gangs, and young lovers caught between both sides. Despite its iconic songs and well-liked plot, West Side Story was not looked upon kindly in retrospect, in particular for having white actors in brown-face portray Puerto Ricans.
In 2021, a remake of West Side Story was released. In addition to changing some plot details, West Side Story attempts to sensitively and fairly represent the Puerto Rican characters and the racism they face. Despite disappointing box office returns, the film has been hailed as even better than the original, and an excellent movie musical.
3 The Rocky Horror Picture Show Is An Iconic Cult Favorite
An adaptation of the Rocky Horror Show stage musical, the Rocky Horror Picture Show is a film that seems like it should confuse audiences. It has a near-incoherent plot full of strange sexual events, a jarring and uneven tone, and rampant weirdness throughout. Despite all of this, Rocky Horror Picture Show has become one of the most notable cult classics in cinema.
A regular film in Friday night showings, Rocky Horror has a devoted fanbase on account of its strong performances, iconic musical numbers, and embracing the rampant weirdness throughout. Adoration goes far enough for fans to have a 'script' of responses to shout as it plays. As such, Rocky Horror has earned its place in movie musical history.
2 Mary Poppins Was Once Disney's Highest-Grossing Film
Despite a lengthy career of making animated films, it would be a live-action movie - albeit one with animated sequences - that became known as the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career. Adapting the Mary Poppins books, the film of the same name depicts Julie Andrews as the titular nanny, brought in to manage the troublesome Banks children.
Andrews' acclaimed performance, strange and imaginative musical sequences, and several songs that remain in popular imagination to this day, Mary Poppins has made its mark on history. Mary Poppins received a sequel 54 years after its release.
1 Singing In The Rain Is Musical Splendor
Singing is often considered to be the most significant part of a movie musical, but Singing In The Rain ups the ante with elaborate and technically challenging dance sequences for its cast to perform. Singing In The Rain tells a relatively humble story of a pair of performers falling in love during the rise of 'talking pictures'. It is widely considered to be a masterpiece of musical theatre.
Also praised for its writing, its characters, and its humor, Singing In The Rain is best-remembered for several of its elaborate musical setpieces, including Make 'Em Laugh, Good Morning, and both iterations of its titular song. Gene Kelly's solo performance of Singing In The Rain is considered one of the finest in film history.