Four binge-worthy movie musicals to watch if you enjoyed ‘Wicked’

Musicals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. 

Breaking out into a song in the middle of a conversation? Definitely weird for some. 

But the recent fame of Jon M. Chu’s ‘Wicked’ and ‘Wicked: For Good’ starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande may have shown non-musical fans that, well, perhaps musicals aren’t so bad after all.

If you are one of those people, you’re probably currently on a journey of finding some good movie musicals that will make you want to break into elaborate dance numbers in your living room, or hold a concert in the shower.

Then fear not, because here are four movie musicals that you might want to check out for your next binge-watching session.

As ‘Wicked’ is a movie adaptation of the classic Broadway musical of the same name, the films in this list are also movie counterparts of a few theater favorites.

In The Heights (2021)

Ever had ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ from the 2021 Disney film ‘Encanto’ stuck in your head for weeks on end?

Or perhaps, you’re one of the many folks who rapped and fumbled your words over to ‘My Shot’ from Broadway favorite ‘Hamilton’?

If your answer to either one of those questions is a “yes”, then you will love ‘In The Heights’, the 2021 film directed by Chu based on the stage musical of the same name by Lin-Manuel Miranda — the brilliant composer of songs from ‘Encanto’ and ‘Hamilton’ — and Quiara Alegria Hudes.

‘In The Heights’ centers around Usnavi and his neighbors in a Dominican community of Washington Heights in New York City as they go through their day-to-day life in pursuit of their respective dreams.

Kicking things off with an already jaw-dropping number of ‘In The Heights’, the film channels the same energetic spirit as its stage counterpart that will surely capture any audience, whether they are musical fans or otherwise.

The movie also stars a few familiar faces, including Anthony Ramos (Hamilton), Melissa Barrera (Scream), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Latina singer Leslie Grace.

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Hairspray (2007)

You won’t be able to stop grooving to the beat once you watch the 2007 musical rom-com film ‘Hairspray’.

Based on the 2002 stage musical by Mark O’ Donnell and Thomas Meehan, ‘Hairspray’ is set in 1962 Baltimore about teenager Tracy Turnblad and her journey to becoming a dancer on a local television dance show, all while also fighting against racial segregation.

The 2007 film, directed by Adam Shankman and written by Leslie Dixon, also follows the 1988 version by John Waters, which is actually the inspiration for the 2002 Broadway musical.

Among its stars are Nikki Blonsky (Queen Sized), Zac Efron (The Greatest Showman), John Travolta (Grease), Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect), and Queen Latifah (Last Holiday).

‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’, the musical’s most famous track, is guaranteed to get anyone on their feet and dance to the electric beat until they’re breathless with huge grins on their faces.

Chicago (2002)

A few months ago, a TikTok sound that goes “oh yes, we both… oh yes, we both reached for… the gun, the gun, the gun” went viral on the platform.

It inspired numerous video edits, broke through algorithms, and had everyone asking: “Where on earth did it come from?”

Well, the answer is ‘Chicago’, a 2002 black comedy crime film directed by Rob Marshall, featuring Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones’s Diary), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Wednesday), and Richard Gere (Pretty Woman).

Based on the 1975 Broadway musical, ‘Chicago’ tells the story of Roxie Hart (Zellweger) and Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones), two alleged murderers fighting for fame in a desperate attempt to escape the death penalty during the 1920s.

The viral TikTok audio came from the latter part of the song ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’, with its performance in the movie showing Roxie and her lawyer, Billy Flynn (Gere), manipulating the press by reinventing her story in a bid to win the public’s sympathy.

Another iconic song from the musical is ‘Cell Block Tango’, a deeply sensual number telling the backstories of the women in Cook County Jail facing execution for allegedly murdering their husbands.

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Rent (2005)

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

How do you measure, measure a year?”

Seems familiar?

It is none other than the classic show tune ‘Seasons of Love’ from the 2005 musical ‘Rent’.

Directed by Chris Columbus, the movie is an adaptation of the 1996 Broadway musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson.

‘Rent’ tells the year-long story of a group of artists and their aspirations and struggles with their everyday lives during the AIDS epidemic in East Village, New York City, from 1989 to 1990.

Six of the eight original Broadway cast members reprised their roles for the movie.

Among them is Idina Menzel, who is also the Broadway originator of Elphaba from ‘Wicked’.

The other original actors include Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, and Taye Diggs, while those cast to replace the Broadway originators are Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thoms.

‘Rent’ is one of those musicals that can take you on a rollercoaster of emotions, with its perfect mix of tear-jerking and upbeat tunes, and a diverse set of stories that the audience will definitely resonate with.

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