7 Movie Musicals to Watch Instead of Emilia Perez

The internet has been abuzz the past few weeks with talk of Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, the Spanish-language musical from France about a trans woman who was previously a cartel drug lord. Emilia Pérez recently won four Golden Globe Awards and received 13 Oscar nominations, all after scoring major acting awards at the Cannes Film Festival. And yet, the film has also proven incredibly divisive in its reception. While filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro and James Cameron have publicly expressed adoration for Emilia Pérez, much of the general public has routinely mocked the feature for its strange musical numbers and depiction of Mexican society.

Emilia Pérez has dominated the discourse in recent days (including offscreen controversy with star Karla Sofiá Gascón). If you’re looking for a good alternative to the movie, there are plenty of other great modern movie musicals to watch instead.

These seven 21st-century musical movies, in particular, stand out as features deserving way more love. While so much attention has been lavished on Emilia Pérez, these seven movie musicals reaffirm the glorious present-day wonders of singing and dancing in cinema.

West Side Story (2021)

Despite cratering at the box office upon release in December 2021, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is one of that master filmmaker’s greatest accomplishments. Getting to finally put his stamp on the musical genre, Spielberg’s filmmaking is alive with verve and imagination. Watching familiar musical tunes like “America” here is like discovering them for the first time thanks to the sharp visuals and grandiose spectacle unfolding on-screen. West Side Story‘s musical numbers are realized with crisp clarity while a slew of performers like Rachel Zegler, Ariana DaBose, Mike Faist, and David Alvarez deliver instant star-making turns.

West Side Story is streaming on Disney+.

Anna and the Apocalypse

Want a good oddball musical from Europe? Look no further than Anna and the Apocalypse! This 2018 feature from Britain deftly blends the worlds of teen dramas, Christmas cinema, and musical movies into one irresistible concoction. It turns out belting show tunes go perfectly with beating up a zombified mall Santa. To boot, Anna even manages to churn out a genuinely moving (and always timely) lesson about not giving up on the world even during the worst times. Boundless creative and packed with catchy tunes like “Hollywood Ending,” Anna and the Apocalypse is the Gallant to Emilia Perez’s Goofus.

Anna and the Apocalypse is streaming on Shudder and Tubi.

The Lure

Speaking of unhinged European musicals, The Lure is the best Polish murderous mermaid musical you’ll ever see. From the mind of writer/director Agnieszka Smoczyńska, and a twisted take on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, The Lure critiques misogynistic societal standards with a violent glee. There are also musical numbers covering material like the two lead mermaids discovering human experiences like shopping for the first time. Watching The Lure is a surreal experience you’re bound to never forget!

The Lure is streaming on Max.

Sing Street

Sing Street is the most John Carney movie ever made, which is a profound compliment. This Irish filmmaker has always been obsessed with music and how it brings people together. Those qualities have never been more movingly intertwined than with Sing Street, his 2016 movie about a bunch of Irish teens who put together their own rock band. On a fundamental level, Sing Street soars as an underdog coming-of-age yarn. However, it’s also just captivating in terms of its bevy of memorable tunes. How can you not tap your toes to something like “Drive It Like You Stole It”?

Sing Street is streaming on Netflix.

Annette

“So…may we start?” begins Annette’s first musical number, which kicks off a whirlwind musical movie about a deeply disturbed stand-up comic (Adam Driver), his eventually deceased wife (Marion Cotillard), and his daughter, represented as a doll. The weirdness director Leos Carax has concocted here won’t be for everyone, just like how the band Sparks (which wrote Annette’s tune) has always produced divisive tracks. For those on its wavelength, Annette is a fascinating, bravura experience full of dark comedy and musical numbers you have to see to believe.

Annette is now streaming on Prime Video.

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Better Man

It doesn’t matter if you know who real-life musician Robbie Williams is or not before you watch Better Man, this movie works like gangbusters. This raw look at the dark side of show business, not to mention struggling with addiction, is told through distinctive visual imagination from director Michael Gracey. Even beyond the choice to realize Williams as a CG chimpanzee, Better Man is bursting with unique backdrops and imagery to represent key parts of this man’s life. It’s also got some killer musical numbers, including a one-take performance of “Rock DJ” that will leave the jaws of musical cinema geeks everywhere on the floor.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

“Wig in a Box” as a musical number is enough to solidify Hedwig and the Angry Inch as one of the all-time great movie musicals. But this John Cameron Mitchell joint offers even more joys beyond just that one set piece and is impressive thanks to Mitchell writing, directing, and starring. Other outstanding tunes like “The Origin of Love” dominate the runtime while sharp dialogue like “[I left] behind a trail of rainbow carnage!” is inescapable. The messy process of embracing and discovering one’s identity is realized through Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s endlessly entertaining musical sensibilities, making it a masterful use of the inherent maximalist sensibilities of musical storytelling!