Joey Magidson
A black comedy playing at the Sundance Film Festival? Well, knock me over with a feather. It’s beyond parody at this point that the festival showcases small-scale dark comedies. Some go on to break through to the mainstream, while others fade into obscurity beyond the confines of Park City. When it comes to The Musical? Bet on the latter, as it’s just far too one-note and traffics in old territory. You’d be forgiven for thinking this had already played at Sundance years before.
The Musical deserves credit for building to one absolutely insane sequence. Unfortunately, everything that comes before it is too mediocre and frankly weak sauce to be worthy of a recommendation. The film thinks that it’s being edgy, but it’s also playing far too safe, content to just foster the protagonist’s sense of bitterness and injustice. As a starting point? It works. As a whole movie? You’re left wanting more.
Middle School theater teacher Doug Leibowitz (Will Brill) is a failed playwright, still fostering hopes of heading to New York City for a prestigious fellowship. As the new school year starts, he’s a sad sack due to the break he and art teacher Abigail (Gillian Jacobs), though that turns to anger, bitterness, and depression when she informs him that their break is permanent, as she’s started dating Principal Brady (Rob Lowe). Brady is Doug’s nemesis already, so something breaks within him.
When Principal Brady informs the staff that the school is up for a Blue Ribbon prize, Doug begins to scheme. The show his students are scheduled to perform is West Side Story, but he instead channels all of his rage and resentment into an original work that he has them secretly plan out. If his life has gone down the tubes, he’s going to take Brady down with him, using a musical as his weapon of mass destruction.
Will Brill unfortunately is one note here, as is Gillian Jacobs and Rob Lowe. The starting points for these characters are interesting, though they sadly never evolve. Brill eventually becomes annoying to spend time with, though there’s impressive commitment from the actor to this character. Jacobs is wasted, while Lowe more or less plays a caricature. Supporting players here include Melanie Herrera, Nevada Jose, Chyler Emery Stern, and more.
Director Giselle Bonilla and writer Alexander Heller don’t give us enough to grab on to here. The notable exception is when we see the musical that Doug has staged, as it’s The Producers level outrageous. Had the film dug in more with that, or didn’t make it the final moments of the movie, there might have been saving this project. Instead, it’s simply a festival flick that’s a misfire, save for one incredibly wild sequence.
The Musical is never bad, but outside of the aforementioned climax, it never hits its stride. You’re left wanting more from the already worn premise, with the execution just leading you to remember more successful works of this ilk. There are surely worse Sundance titles this year, but few will be more forgettable (barring that one scene) than this one. Alas.
SCORE: ★★1/2
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