Netflix is loaded with musical movies of many stripes, including documentaries, biopics,
concert films, dramas, and of course -- good old fashioned musicals.
Here, in our humble opinion, are the 12 best.
From the music to the storytelling, Beyoncé’s masterful Homecoming concert film demonstrates
why she’s truly the Queen.
The film shows glimpses of the final product—2018’s jaw-dropping, festival-hijacking live show
that became known as Beychella—and then takes you back over a gruelling 8-month rehearsal
period to show that there’s no such thing as skipping steps, even for Beyoncé.
Legendary norteño musicians Los Tigres del Norte make a thoughtful, symbolic statement
with this concert film.
By purposefully choosing Folsom State Prison, where Johnny Cash recorded his legendary album,
Los Tigres del Norte assert themselves as troubadours of America’s new working class,
one largely consisting of people of color.
Concert footage spliced with talking-head material from the inmates—many of whom love
the band—makes a compelling argument that Los Tigres del Norte are, in many ways, the
heirs to Cash’s country music mantle, and that Latinx stories are American working-class
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana is a raw, deep look into the world-famous performer as she
pushes herself further as a musician, and recognizes herself as a voice with power.
It probably won’t change how you feel about Swift, but this documentary serves as a window
into the life of a famous musician that we’re rarely privy to, even if we can never really
get the whole picture.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory needs no introduction.
The fantastical musical adventure is still a treat to watch nearly 50 years after its
release.
Gene Wilder is beguiling in the title role, and his factory tour is enchanting, hilarious,
and a little horrifying.
The whole thing is elevated by an Oscar-nominated score that stays with you long after a re-watch.
The Runaways were a red-hot band of teenage miscreants who blew up the male-dominated
‘70s rock scene and inspired several future generations of female rockers.
This 2010 biopic, based on lead singer Cherie Currie’s memoir, documents the band’s
origins in Los Angeles around 1975, their signing with Mercury Records, a tumultuous
four-album run, and their spectacular implosion.
This coming-of-age story features crackling performances from Dakota Fanning and Kristen
Stewart as Currie and Joan Jett, respectively.
Whether he’s the only person onstage or accompanied by the E Street Band, watching
Bruce Springsteen play can be life-changing.
Springsteen on Broadway has a similar kind of magic bottled up.
He reels you in from the first moment to deliver what can feel like an intimate gospel delivered
directly to you—one that’s often heartfelt and emotional as the singer breaks down aspects
of his myth.
Amy Winehouse stands as one of the most tragic figures in the history of modern pop music.
Blessed with the voice of an angel and cursed with the demons to match, Winehouse came back
from a marginally successful debut to set the pop charts on fire with Back to Black.
Her songs were tinged with dark humor that belied a substance abuse problem, which eventually
led to her death in 2011.
Amy is a heartbreaking portrait of an artist wrestling with success and the consequences
of having too much, too fast.
The Dirt is the long-awaited film adaptation of Mötley Crüe’s scandalous 2001 memoir.
The film shows “The World’s Most Notorious Rock Band” in all its hedonistic glory,
delivering a swashbuckling, two-hour marathon of rock n’ roll decadence with all the triumphant
highs, devastating lows, and shattered relationships that term entails.
All four band members served as co-producers, which means The Dirt glosses over key relationships,
whizzes past the band’s mid-’90s wilderness period, and omits the story of a possible
sexual assault.
That said, The Dirt is still more graphic than most contemporary music biopics, and
it’s a wickedly funny origin story anchored by many of the band’s greatest songs.
The Lonely Island-Netflix partnership has already produced the beloved sketch series
I Think You Should Leave.
But a surprise release “visual poem” called The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience
goes a little more obtuse.
The 30-minute film stars Andy Samberg as Jose Canseco and Akiva Schaffer as Mark McGwire
circa 1988, when the two home-run phenoms (aka the Bash Brothers) were playing for the
Oakland Athletics.
The film is definitely aimed at a specific demographic, but its format is an interesting
window into what Netflix could be doing with short-form comedy.
Cadillac Records tells the story of Leonard Chess, the Polish-born Jewish immigrant who
co-founded Chess Records in 1950.
The Chicago-based record company specialized in blues, R&B, and soul, and was instrumental
in ushering Rock and Roll into the mainstream in the early ‘50s.
It stars Adrien Brody as Chess and a dynamite cast of musicians—including Beyoncé as
Etta James and Mos Def as Chuck Berry.
Whoever figured out how to make a hilarious musical about emo kids deserves an award.
Emo the Musical brilliantly mocks everyone you knew in high school through songs, sarcastic
jokes, and clever asides.
It understands how misunderstood we all felt during our teenage years without making excuses
for our angst.
Every song is well produced, cleverly composed, and ridiculous.
This irreverent parody of high school life and musicals is too unexpectedly likable to
pass up.
That’s our list of the best musical movies on Netflix right now, but if your bopping
to another cinematic masterpiece, please be sure to sing it out in the comments section
below.
And if you’re still not sure what to watch tonight, check out the other streaming guides
linked right here or on our channel for the best movies, shows, animation, and more across
all streaming platforms.
Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you in the next one.