15 Best Movie Musicals of the 2020s So Far, Ranked

The movie musical has been a staple of cinema and filmmaking for nearly as long as filmmaking has been a thing. It makes sense, as musicals and stage performances have been a powerful expression of art and storytelling long before the silver screen, so adapting and creating musical events for the medium of film was a necessary adaptation. There have been many iconic movie musicals over the years, from genuine classics like Singin’ in the Rain to more recent hits like La La Land.

The success and high quality of movie musicals have only continued into the current decade, the 2020s, with a multitude of great and iconic movie musical experiences being released constantly. Ranging from modern remakes and reimaginings of classic musicals to wildly creative original stories, the movie musical shows no signs of stopping and has thrived in the digital, streaming service era. While the decade is far from being over, there are still a multitude of iconic movie musicals that have cemented themselves as being in the conversation for the best of the decade.

15

‘Moana 2’ (2024)

Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller

The original Moana was one of Disney’s biggest successes of recent memory and one of the defining movie musicals of the 2010s, placing all the pressure on Moana 2 to deliver and continue the franchise’s strengths. While not nearly as great as the original film, Moana 2 still features a fair amount of fun moments and cheery songs that make it work well enough as a lighthearted family musical. The film sees Moana traveling out into the vast ocean once again, now accompanied by a new crew, as they attempt to find new civilizations to connect with.

It’s hard for any sequel to live up to the original, especially one as beloved and iconic as the original Moana, yet Moana 2 manages to do just enough to not completely disappoint compared to the original. The sense of charm and likability that elevated the characters of the original film is still present here, with Moana and Maui continuing to have great charming banter with one another. The film also proved to be successful enough to be one of Disney’s highest-grossing movies of all time.

14

‘Dicks: The Musical’ (2023)

Directed by Larry Charles

Adapted and based on the comedic off-broadway musical F**king Identical Twins, Dicks: The Musical brings back original musical creators and stars Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson for a higher-budget cinematic recreation. The film follows the story of two self-obsessed businessmen who come to discover that they’re actually long-lost identical twins, having been separated from each other at a young age. With their newfound discovery, they hatch a scheme to reunite their eccentric divorced parents so that they can be one big happy family.

Just like the original musical, Dicks: The Musical is a wildly crass and chaotic satire of musicals as a whole, reveling in the absurdity and the unpredictable nature of its songs and comedy. The story mostly takes a back seat to the comedy and songs, ranging from great renditions of already hilarious songs from the original musical to new, iconic additions, such as the song featuring Megan Thee Stallion. While the film received mostly positive to mixed reception from critics, it’s the type of film that is built to amass a powerful following and become a cult classic in the years to come.

13

‘Mean Girls’ (2024)

Directed by Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne

Adapted from the stage musical that was in itself adapted from the teen movie classic, Mean Girls follows new exchange student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) in her struggles adjusting to the social climate of high school. The school is run by the terrorizing trio of girls known as “The Plastics”, with their ruthless leader, Regina George (Renee Rapp) holding an iron grip over the entire school. Cady is soon enticed by her new friends to infiltrate The Plastics and destroy them from the inside, but it doesn’t take long before Cady begins to enjoy the pleasures of being at the top of the social ladder.

It’s difficult for any modern remake to live up to the original film, especially when the original film is something as iconic and beloved as 2004’s Mean Girls. However, 2024’s Mean Girls decision to adapt the stage musical gives it a completely different energy and identity from the original film, allowing them to coexist despite telling the same story. The film is an absolute love letter to fans of the stage musical, perfectly adapting songs to the medium of film as well as bringing over several iconic cast members directly from Broadway.

12

‘The Little Mermaid’ (2023)

Directed by Rob Marshall

A live-action remake of the original Walt Disney Renaissance classic, The Little Mermaid follows the story of Ariel, a young mermaid who has wild aspirations of exploring what the world has to offer beyond the sea. However, mermaids are forbidden from interacting with humans, a facet made worse by the fact that Ariel has begun to develop a crush on Prince Eric. In an act of rebellion against her father, Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, giving her a chance to experience life on land, but she is soon placed on a timer as her life and the entire kingdom are in jeopardy.

The Disney live-action remakes have been incredibly hit or miss over the years, with some being genuine upgrades to the original, like The Jungle Book, while others are outright terrible, such as with Pinocchio. The Little Mermaid is certainly on the more positive side of things, with some exceptional visuals and a great leading vocal performance from Halle Bailey as Ariel. While still not as high quality as the masterpiece original film, 2023’s The Little Mermaid is far from being devoid of qualities, being one of the most memorable and well-crafted live-action remakes by Disney.

11

‘The End’ (2024)

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

A wildly creative and experimental musical that is wholly singular in its scope and vision, there is simply no other movie musical experience that can be compared to the individuality of The End. The film blends together a wide variety of genres, from musical drama to sci-fi fantasy, to weave together its striking and timely story of impending doom and depression. While its bold choices and wild swings for the fences may turn away some audiences, The End has enough distinct charm and passion to make it a must-watch for any fan of original movie musicals.

The film takes place 25 years after a widespread environmental collapse that has made Earth uninhabitable, with a lone family being confined to live out the rest of their days in a spacious yet isolating bunker. They attempt to maintain hope and normalcy in the bunker by clinging to the world of the past, yet the arrival of a mysterious stranger proves to upend their seemingly happy life, causing everything to crumble around them.

10

‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’ (2022)

Directed by Matthew Warchus

Adapted from the classic Roald Dahl novel, Matilda the Musical follows the story of Matilda, a bright young girl who wants nothing more than to learn and experience the joys of life. However, nearly every aspect of her life seems to find a way to bring her down, from her ignorant family to the super-strict superintendent at her new school. However, after Matilda discovers her potential and unearths her superpowers, she begins to do what she can to help others and take charge of her destiny, standing up for what is right.

It’s difficult not to want to compare Matilda the Musical to the iconic and incredibly charming ’90s adaptation of Matilda, but much like before, being a musical allows it to stand on its own, and in some ways surpass the original. The songs, choreography, and production design are all massive highlights for Matilda the Musical, bringing to life the world and characters in such a distinct and powerful way to make them especially stand out. The film also more closely parallels and adapts the original novel and stage play over the ’90s film, so while some plot changes may be a bit jarring for fans of the ’90s film, it’s still certainly worth checking out thanks to its incredibly high quality.

9

‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’ (2020)

Directed by David E. Talbert

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey follows the fantastical and imaginative world of eccentric toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker), who is world-renowned for his masterful work as a toymaker. However, after his apprentice, Gustafson, steals his book of inventions to start his own toyshop, Jangle falls into a deep depression and hasn’t created toys for 30 years. Now his young granddaughter, Journey, has arrived at his doorstep with her own passion for inventing, looking to lift Jangle’s spirits to bring back the legendary toymaker inside of him.

It can be especially difficult for an original movie musical to stand out in the modern era of IP repetition, as studios and audiences are more likely to give attention to franchises and remakes over new stories. This makes it all the more impactful and notable when an original movie musical like Jingle Jangle, which is filled to the brim with a highly creative steampunk Christmas aesthetic and incredibly catchy songs, arrives. The film is easily one of the best Christmas movies of recent memory, and will only continue to cement itself as a modern holiday classic in the years to come.

8

‘In the Heights’ (2021)

Directed by Jon M. Chu

While Lin-Manuel Miranda is more commonly recognized for his work creating the Broadway smash-hit Hamilton, it would be his prior musical that would receive a film adaptation first with In the Heights. As opposed to the striking period musical that Hamilton was, In the Heights follows a modern-day bodega owner facing mental hurdles as he considers whether he should close his store and retire to the Dominican Republic or stay with his current life in Washington Heights.

In the Heights further expands upon all the high-octane energy and electricity of the original musical, making the most of the medium of film to create jaw-dropping choreography and an array of beautiful set pieces. The film has an ingrained passion and love for its community that is deeply infectious, sharing its energy of love, compassion, and energy with the audience. Lin-Manuel Miranda is such a notable figure in the realm of modern musicals for a reason, with In the Heights further proving his strengths as one of the strongest names in musical theater.

7

‘Wonka’ (2023)

Directed by Paul King

Acting as a prequel and origin story to the legendary Willy Wonka character, Wonka sees Willy Wonka’s initial adventure and quest to become a renowned chocolate maker. As he travels to the chocolate capital of the world in search of becoming the next big name in chocolate, he faces numerous hurdles on his way, from predatory hotel owners to corrupt monopolistic businessmen who own the police force. Still, he manages to stay ever optimistic and gleeful, able to prove to everyone just what he’s capable of, one bite at a time.

Director Paul King has always had a knack and talent for creating films filled with whimsy and wholesome charm, something ever-present in his legendary Paddington duology. This combination of childlike wonder and quirky charm lends itself perfectly to the movie musical genre in Wonka, finding the perfect balance between wit and purity that made the original films so great. The original songs are also all as delightful as Wonka himself, doing a great service to the character’s legacy.

6

‘The Color Purple’ (2023)

Directed by Blitz Bazawule

A modern musical rendition of the iconic period drama, The Color Purple is a story told across multiple decades of the struggles and tribulations of Celie Harris-Johnson (Fantasia Barrino). From losing contact with her sister at a young age from being forced into a painful and unrelenting relationship for years, Celie manages to find a way to stay resilient and headstrong even in the worst of times. Celie’s life suddenly turns around after an encounter with independent jazz singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), who begins to teach Celie the ways and importance of standing up for oneself.

The Color Purple was already a massively beloved and iconic novel, film, and stage musical before this film adaptation of the musical was announced, giving it a lot of pressure to succeed. The movie musical managed to floor and exceed all expectations possible, with a perfect balance of powerful emotional moments, resonating performances, and beautiful renditions of classic songs to create a cinematic experience for the ages. While it was largely snubbed at the Academy Awards aside from a single nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Danielle Brooks, it continues to have a diehard fanbase that will continue to praise the film from the rooftops.

5

‘Better Man’ (2024)

Directed by Michael Gracey

Musician biopics have entered a sort of renaissance in the modern era following the major success of films like Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis, yet one of the most unexpected highlights of the trend is Better Man. While it seems strange that a biopic that uses a CGI monkey to play its leading star would find such a powerful emotional core and compelling musical numbers, Better Man features some of the most cathartic musical biopic filmmaking of recent memory.

The CGI monkey twist to the story proves to be much more than just a simple gimmick, not only using exceptional visual effects to bring the vision to life, but directly playing into the film’s themes and Robbie Williams‘ life story. Director Michael Gracey uses all the strengths and talent for movie musical filmmaking that he utilized in The Greatest Showman to make Better Man a soaring story of glorious highs and tear-jerker lows. While the film was sadly a box office bomb, its unanimous praise from critics and audiences is sure to make it a cult classic by the decade’s end.

4

‘Encanto’ (2021)

Directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush

Easily Disney’s biggest and most acclaimed animated smash hit of the decade so far, Encanto has quickly and efficiently risen through the ranks to be one of Disney’s greatest musical outings. The film follows the story of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family living hidden in the mountains of Colombia where each family member has their own special gift and magical power bestowed by their magical house. The lone exception is Mirabel, who didn’t receive a gift, yet she finds herself at the center of a terrifying mystery that has the potential to destroy everything their family has worked towards.

With a powerful story of family bonds and generational trauma as well as an instantly iconic soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto felt like the first true Disney animated musical in a long time. Its soundtrack has made it endlessly rewatchable while at the same time finding a way to stay just as powerful and thematically resonate on any number of repeat viewings. Especially when the majority of Disney’s animated outings in the decade have been largely forgotten or underwhelming, Encanto stands out to show that the studio still has that classic Disney magic.

3

‘Wicked’ (2024)

Directed by Jon M. Chu

Adapting and doing justice to one of the biggest musical phenomenons of the 21st century, Wicked gloriously brings the first half of the musical to the big screen, doing full justice to the masterful songs and power of the original. The film acts as a prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz story, following the magical Wicked Witch of the East (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande) back when they were best friends and went by Elphaba and Galinda.

Wicked had a lot of anticipation placed upon it, not only adapting one of the most famous musicals of all time but also paying tribute to the legendary cinematic legacy of The Wizard of Oz. The film managed to accomplish the impossible by sticking true to its musical roots while also acting as a glorious companion to The Wizard of Oz, similarly utilizing glorious color and production design to bring Oz to life. The film ended up being a massive box-office phenomenon, becoming one of the highest-grossing movie musicals of all time alongside widespread critical acclaim.

2

‘tick, tick…Boom!’ (2021)

Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Adapted from the original semi-autobiographical stage musical, Tick Tick…Boom! follows legendary playwright Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) in his struggles and attempts to write the perfect musical to enter the theater industry. With Larson on the cusp of his 30th birthday and still working in the same tired old cafe, he is beginning to lose hope as he believes he has but one final shot to make it big and create a work of art that will outlive him. At the same time, Larson finds himself having to balance his artistry with tragedy, love, and a near-infinite amount of pressure placed upon him.

While Larson’s more iconic musical endeavor, Rent, is more commonly recognized and given attention, with its movie musical release in the 2000s, tick, tick…Boom! is finally given its glorious chance to shine in the world of cinema. The film brilliantly recaptures Larson’s signature artistic voice, thanks both to the brilliant lead performance from Garfield as well as the unexpectedly great directing chops of Lin-Manuel Miranda. It’s as deeply emotional and painful as it is full of energy and charm, making for what is easily the quintessential movie musical of the streaming era.

1

‘West Side Story’ (2021)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

A modern remake of the Best-Picture-winning movie musical classic, West Side Story is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1950s New York and dealing with the struggles between rival gangs. The film follows Tony and Maria, who, despite living completely different lives and being a part of rival gangs who are at each other’s throats constantly, find themselves miraculously falling in love. As tensions continue to rise between the two gangs, the love between Tony and Maria continues to grow more dangerous, eventually leading to the inevitable tragedy.

Remaking a widely beloved Best Picture-winning film is no small task, yet if any filmmaker can pull it off, it’s Steven Spielberg, a living masterpiece in his own right. Even though Spielberg had never directed a musical before this point, West Side Story makes the case that this is the genre of film that he should have been creating from the beginning. The film has a masterful combination of beautiful production design, out-of-this-world choreography, and fast-paced editing to make the film somehow even rival the original film. While the film sadly bombed at the box office, having to compete against Spider-Man: No Way Home, it has since earned a considerable number of fans who have come to appreciate the masterful filmmaking on display.

NEXT: The Worst Movie Musicals, Ranked