The only music movies worth wasting time on.

lily
Mar 6, 2019
9 min read

Updated: Jun 18, 2019

"music" - Madonna, if she said it then you know it's the truth

In light of the travesty that was/is Bohemian Rhapsody, I've decided to round up a list of my top ten music films. As you will notice there won't be any musicals on the list. According the the Lily Ashendorf "Music v Musical" theory, music films exist to tell a story focused around music (ex. biopics, fictional band films, etc.), whereas musicals tell their story through music (ex. musicals, duh). So sorry to musical fans, it's not that I don't care, it's just that I don't care.

I've broken the list down into three sections, biopics, non-biopics, and films I can't quite place. Without further ado, here are my top ten music movies. (FYI sorry this post is the length of a wikipedia article on quantum physics, I just got a lot to say)

Biopics:

Music based biopics are super hit or miss, to the point where I'm pretty much always skeptical when I hear about a new one. They're either super boring and formulaic (Bohemian Rhapsody) or they can be super innovative and exciting (everything on this list). It all comes down to a mix of story and storytelling. Is the writing good? What about the editing and the way it was shot? Are we telling the story of someone exciting? If you're thinking about making a musical biopic please ask yourself these questions so that we don't end up with another shitshow like B-Rap. Now onto the list (again we're not ranking based on quality, because ranking is what? oppressive as hell!!! yay!)

1. Control (Dir. Anton Corbijn, 2007)

So this'll probably be the only traditional biopic on the list. Traditional meaning that it straight up details the life story of our main character, Ian Curtis. Curtis was the front-man for British post-punk band, Joy Division, and the man led a interesting life. Control spans from the inception of the band, to Ian's untimely death. What makes this film great is that A) I can get down to some Joy Division, B) Ian Curtis isn't a super mainstream figure, and C) the formal elements of the film aren't at all conventional and make for an exciting viewing experience. The first thing you notice about the film is its b&w cinematography. Now I have a major love/ hate relationship with black and white, in that its use is either gonna be a total fucking cheese fest or it's gonna be cool as hell. In Control's case is is *Larry David voice* pretty, pretty, pretty, good. It goes perfectly with the coolness of both the subject matter and the soundtrack. Which brings us to the music, if you aren't a fan of Joy Division/ British post-punk, then your loss, sorry. But if you are a fan, then obviously you're going to like it, I mean why wouldn't you. The final thing I have to say about this film is that Sam Riley's performance slaps. I think the reason why his portrayal felt so realistic is partly due to Sam being criminally underrated as an actor, but also because Ian Curtis isn't an overly saturated figure in the media, so basically the acting/characterization is the complete opposite of Bohemian, sigh, Rhapsody.

2. 24 Hour Party People (Dir. Michael Winterbottom, 2002)

This is already one of my top 5 favorite films of all time, so it's probably my favorite off of this list as well. 24 Hour Party People chronicles the life of legendary British TV host, music producer, and band manager, Tony Wilson. The film spans from his musical start in the late 70's to his realization that his career is over in the late 90's. And every single second of it is amazing. While the film is a biopic it could also fall under the category of mockumentary, and we love a good mockumentary. This categorization is due to the film being inspired by a combination of "real life, rumor, and urban legend", but what biopic isn't made up of those things already? In addition to covering Tony's life it also depicts his discovery and management of The Happy Mondays, and an Okaymoviereview's favorite, Joy Division. So y'all know the soundtracks gonna be killer. My favorite part of this film are the cameos from the real figures of the story such as a member of the Buzzcocks and Tony himself. What makes the cameos so great is their breaking of the fourth wall, their appearances consist of them turning to the camera and telling the audience that what they just saw never happened, so you can't say this film isn't self aware. And we can't forget Steve Coogan for making 24HPP the fabulous film that it is. The movie definitely holds a soft spot in my heart, being that it got me started in listening to new music that I never would have found had I not seen this movie. I also watched it in 8th grade, which is a whole other story that we most certainly don't have time for.

3. Velvet Goldmine (Dir Todd Haynes, 1998)

So this film is only kinda-sorta a biopic, but we're gonna include it anyway. I say this because though it's totally about David Bowie and Iggy Pop, it isn't officially about them. Apparently Bowie was like "hey, let's not make a biopic about me", but Todd Haynes wasn't having it so he said "fuck it imma make it anyway". Velvet Goldmine is one of those movies that you're either going to love it or loathe it, this observation can be proven by checking the film's rotten tomatoes score of 56%. I can definitely see why the haters are haters, because it's a weird ass movie. You just have to go into it expecting it to read like a full glitter music video portrayal of Bowie. If there's anything you take away from Velvet Goldmine, it should be that the soundtrack bangs and is definitely worth a listen. I'm interested in seeing how the upcoming legit Bowie biopic with compare to this film. Let's be real, it's just gonna be next year's BR.

Non Biopic: (idk what you actually call this, whoops)

4. Once (Dir. John Carney, 2007)

I think we can all agree that Once is a pretty goddam good little movie. To the moms reading this (y'all know who you are), I know you can agree that Once is one of the greatest things ever. I grew up listening to the soundtrack, so obviously I was going to have to watch the film at some point. I finally got around to watching it when I was 13 or 14 and proceeded to watch it 2 more times over the span of one weekend. I just really really really love this movie, and there's no reason you shouldn't. I once read an article where they talked about how this movie proves that you don't need superstar casting, or a big budget, or good quality equipment to tell a great story. I think this is super evident in Carney's follow up film Begin Again, which was basically Once, but with all of the things that Once was lacking. Begin Again didn't feel as genuine because it felt like a movie, while Once felt like real life. There's nothing wrong with Begin Again, it just ain't Once. Also the music wasn't as great, but that's just a point of view (24HPP quote, anybody?) The driving factor of the film is obviously it's Oscar winning music, which adds to the genuine factor since it was actually written by the film's stars. Please go watch this movie so I can have more people to talk about it with other than my mom (♥ u Erin).

5. Sing Street (Dir. John Carney, 2016)

Sticking with the Carney theme, I'd next like to discuss the magic that is Sing Street. With this film Carney goes back to his Irish, unknown actor roots, and the product is a really great movie. Sing St. is about a group of Irish boys in the 80's trying to form their own band. The soundtrack is super 80's inspired with the boys musical inspiration drifting from Duran Duran to The Cure to Adam Ant. Unlike Once, where the musical numbers are primarily performed in the studio or on the street, the performances in Sing Street are all for the band's music videos. Aside from having a really great soundtrack, the movie is also a super successful coming of age film. It satisfies all the components that make for a great coming of age movie, it's funny, awkward, and kind of upsetting. I'd like to conclude this review by stating that the song "Drive it Like You Stole it" was robbbbeeeeedddd of a deserved Oscar nom (I'm pissed, @ the academy).

6. We Are the Best! (Dir. Lukas Moodysson, 2013)

If you couldn't already tell from the directors name, we'll be taking a trip over to Sweden for this next film. This might be the best punk-rock movie I've seen, and that says a lot since this film is about three 12 year old girls who's only song is about their hatred for P.E. class. This movie had been sitting in my Netflix queue since 2014 but for some reason I didn't get around to watching it until either last summer. And I'm so glad I did because this movie kills it in the attitude department. It almost, almost, made me want to cut all my hair off into a mohawk, that's how great it was. Even if you hate punk-rock it's still worth the watch. We Are the Best! is equal parts super cute and badass. And that's all I have to say about that.

I am to be reincarnated as a Swedish pre-teen from the 80's

7. Whiplash (Dir. Damien Chazelle, 2014)

After being forced to write 8 pages analyzing Whiplash, I believe I have officially earned the title of Ultimate Whiplash Expert. Even though I know way too much about this movie, to the point where I'm almost sick of it, I'll spare you the details. To keep a long mf story short, this movie is kind of excellent. Every thing about this film, from the acting to the editing, is pretty perfect. It's a super unique depiction of the music industry, and it also turns jazz into a contact sport. Miles Teller is amazing, and Oscar Winner JK Simmons is phenom. I almost feel like his performance as Fletcher in this film was more terrifying than his role as head-honcho of the Aryan brotherhood on Oz. Every Oscar this film won was earned, especially the editing, which was crazy great. Damien has yet to do me wrong, and Whiplash is a perfect example of how genius he is. I also like this film because of how different the subject matter is in comparison to other music movies. When I think "music movie" I usually think of a band of a singer, not a story about a bunch of assholes playing jazz. Kudos to Whiplash for being different, good job!

how can someone so lovely play evil so well?

8.Cold War (Dir. Pawel Pawlikowski, 2018)

This last film comes straight out of last year, and Poland. I would describe Cold War as A Star is Born but make it interesting. The film was set in Poland during the early days of the Cold War, and centered around the relationship between two musicians. It reminded me of ASIB in that the story is about a talented guy (don't feel like looking up the character names) who discovers a talented girl. The film jumps around in time and location following their off/on relationship over the span of 15ish years. I though the cinematography was really great, Oscar nomination great, it wasn't gross black and white and it gave the film the cool USSR edge that it needed. All in all Cold War was a really great film that I would highly recommend. It actually made me cry in the theater a little bit, so you know it has to be good.

this movie makes Poland look nice (jk they're in Paris in this shot)

The IDK category:

9. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Dir. Edgar Wright, 2010)

I love Scott Pilgrim and I also love it's soundtrack. While it does feature a band and lots of musical performances, the reason i didn't know how to categorize it was due to the fact that the plot isn't really about music/the band. That being said it's still worth checking out. I also think this might be my favorite Michael Cera role because he finally gets the chance to play the cool guy lead, instead of his usual awkward supporting role. And don't get me wrong I love George Michael (both George Michaels, RIP), and I love Paulie Bleeker, and I guess I love Evan from Superbad, but I like seeing him as the main guy too. I think we can all agree we'd date Scott in a heartbeat. This movie is legit ridiculous and it's one of those movies that gets better/funnier every time you watch it. I don't exactly know what "meta" means, but I'm pretty sure Scott Pilgrim is it.

10. The Piano (Dir. Jane Campion, 1993)

I don't know if you could technically refer to this as a music movie, but whatever it is I fuuuuuuck with it. I love The Piano and all its freaky-deaky ness. The movie had me at Holly Hunter, and continued to get better with the addition of an illiterate Harvey Keitel. I know I say this a lot, but his might actually be one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. And that's really all I have to say on that.