Best Musical & Music Movies 2021

Critics Consensus: Lights up for In the Heights, a joyous celebration of heritage and community fueled by dazzling direction and singalong songs.

Synopsis: The creator of "Hamilton" and the director of "Crazy Rich Asians" invite you to the event of the summer, where the streets are made of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins

Directed By: Jon M. Chu

Critics Consensus: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story presents a new look at the classic musical that lives up to its beloved forebear -- and in some respects might even surpass it.

Synopsis: Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry offers an enlightening -- and sometimes uncomfortable -- look behind the scenes of a young star's ascension.

Synopsis: "Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry" tells the true coming-of-age story of the singer-songwriter and her rise to global superstardom. From award-winning filmmaker R.J.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Billie Eilish, Finneas

Directed By: R.J. Cutler

Critics Consensus: tick, tick... BOOM! makes musical magic out of a story focused on the creative process -- an impressive feat for debuting director Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Synopsis: Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature directorial debut with tick, tick...BOOM!, an adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Bradley Whitford

Directed By: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Critics Consensus: It may not be as effervescent as its title character, but Everybody's Talking About Jamie remains an infectiously enjoyable musical with an uplifting message.

Synopsis: Inspired by true events, Everybody's Talking About Jamie follows Jamie New (Max Harwood), a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati

Directed By: Jonathan Butterell

Critics Consensus: Annette's experimental approach to its emotional extremes marks an ambitious, if not peculiar, return for director Leos Carax.

Synopsis: Los Angeles, today. Henry (Adam Driver) is a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humor who falls in love with Ann (Marion Cotillard), a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg, Devyn McDowell

Directed By: Leos Carax

Critics Consensus: This standard-issue biopic falls shy of its subject's transcendent brilliance, but Jennifer Hudson's starring performance absolutely commands Respect.

Synopsis: Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald

Directed By: Liesl Tommy

Critics Consensus: The Nowhere Inn may be a clever concept in search of substance, but the results are often oddly appealing.

Synopsis: From real-life friends Annie Clark (a.k.a. GRAMMY award-winning recording and touring artist St. Vincent) and Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney) comes the metafictional account of two... View Full Synopsis

Starring: St. Vincent, Carrie Brownstein, Dakota Johnson, Ezra Buzzington

Directed By: Bill Benz

Critics Consensus: This singalong-worthy Cinderella sprinkles some modern fairy dust on the oft-told tale, but flat performances and clunky dialogue make watching often feel like a chore.

Synopsis: Cinderella is a musically-driven bold new take on the traditional story you grew up with. Our heroine (Camila Cabello) is an ambitious young woman, whose... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Camila Cabello, Idina Menzel, Nicholas Galitzine, Maddie Baillio

Directed By: Kay Cannon

Critics Consensus: Dear Evan Hansen does a fair job of capturing the emotion of its source material, but it's undermined by questionable casting and a story that's hard to swallow.

Synopsis: The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Platt, Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever

Directed By: Stephen Chbosky