Musicals have remained a beloved genre since the inception of theater till the rise of modern TV media. The ability to tell stories through song and music is a beautiful thing, and we have seen the release of many good films that incorporate this stylistic choice in their narrative. If musicals are your thing or even if you wish to acquaint yourself with the genre, we’ve got you covered! Down below we list 2 musicals you definitely need to watch, and 1 you might want to stay away from.

First up, we have Tick, Tick… Boom!, the critically acclaimed musical that made waves in 2021. Starring Andrew Garfield, it shows the struggles of now-renowned Jonathan Larson as he tries to put his musical talent to good use and make it big on Broadway. Definitely one of Garfied’s better performances to date, Tick, Tick… Boom! will captivate you with its heartfelt story and its many exceptional musical sequences. “Therapy” is a song that’ll definitely convince you that starting this movie was a good move!

Getty Images / FilmMagic / Bruce Glikas

Continuing with the trend of musicals that depict an artist’s struggles, we have Inside Llewyn Davis by the Coen Brothers and starring Oscar Isaac. The movie, having been nominated for several awards since its release (and winning some of them!), follows a week in the life of Llewyn Davis, a folk singer who wants to make it big as a musician. What makes this an interesting watch is the stellar acting by Oscar Isaac and, naturally, some great folk music!

Lastly, we have Cats. This isn’t the stage musical, but instead the 2019 movie adaptation of it. It stars an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Jason Derulo, and even Judi Dench. However, not even this star-studded cast could save Cats from critics and viewers bashing it for its poor (often disturbing) visuals and editing quality. If you’re new to musicals, this is not the place to start!