25 Best Musicals of the 21st Century, Ranked

Movies and musicals take our normal, ho-hum human experiences and turn them into ginormous explosions of emotion. On their own, these forms provide catharsis, but when you combine them? Buckle your culture-lovin’ seatbelts, baby. Movie musicals have been around since the very beginning of film history, which begins with the borrowing of devices and talent from the creators of stage musicals. With the ability to finesse and craft set pieces you simply could not in a real-life time-and-space theatrical setting, movie musicals like The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg became the symbols of filmic creativity, ingenuity, prestige, and good old-fashioned popcorn fun.

But as we’ve made our way into this 21st century, beginning with the year 2000, the movie musical has become something of an exception rather than a rule of cinematic expectations and impulses. In other words, when a contemporary movie musical comes out, it “means something.” So, with the 2024 release of a certain “popular” movie musical, it’s the perfect time to analyze these 21st-century exceptions. These are the 25 best movie musicals of the 21st century, celebrating the glory of music, dance, and losing oneself in the magic of cinema.

25 ‘The Greatest Showman’ (2017)

Directed by Michael Gracey

The one requirement for The Greatest Showman is to simply accept that it is not (nor does it really attempt to be) a truthful account of P.T. Barnum’s life, which is oddly fitting given its main character. Instead, The Greatest Showmanconstantly shoots for uplift and joy with a terrific litany of songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul constructed with some really artful and impressive direction from Michael Gracey, making his feature debut.

You also have a terrific cast leaning into this version of Barnum’s story, with Hugh Jackman perfectly endearing as the sweet-if-misguided showman. Like any good musical, these songs are bound to get stuck in your head, but you’re not going to mind when you’re fist-pumping to “This Is Me” for the 400th time. – Matt Goldberg

24 ‘Pitch Perfect’ (2012)

Directed by Jason Moore

The 21st century has been dominated by pop music, and in that way, 2012’s Pitch Perfect may be one of the musicals that best encapsulates the dominating musical taste of an era. Directed by Jason Moore and written by Kay Cannon, the film started as a witty twist on the boon of competitive a capella groups but, somewhere along the way, morphed into a sharp college comedy packed with killer renditions of pop songs.

Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick and scene-stealer Rebel Wilson lead an effortlessly charming cast that’s heavy on both vocal and comedic talent. The sequels fell far short of the same kind of magic that made Pitch Perfect a hit, but the first film still stands as a tremendously watchable and catchy good time. – Adam Chitwood

23 ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ (2010)

Directed by Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer

There’s some confusion about what exactly qualifies a film as a “musical.” It feels like the correct answer is somewhere along the lines of “any film featuring non-diegetic musical numbers performed by the characters to explain their motivations and advance the narrative,” but that definition would exclude movies like Sing. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, the 2016 comedy from The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer), isn’t a musical in the classic sense, but it is 100% a comedy about music, featuring roughly a dozen hilarious original songs by narcissistic fictional megastar Connor4Real (Samberg).

The songs are legitimate bops, and many of them are performed in elaborate stage numbers that are both funny as hell and quite impressive.

The film follows Connor as he embarks on a massive tour to promote the release of his hotly-anticipated sophomore album. In addition to being a razor-sharp satire of pop music superstars and the superficial lifestyle of social media influencers, the songs are legitimate bops, and many of them are performed in elaborate stage numbers that are both funny as hell and quite impressive. It also features a number of fun cameos from the music industry, including standout bits involving Adam Levine, Seal, and Justin Timberlake. – Tom Reimann

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22 ‘Dancer in the Dark’ (2000)

Directed by Lars Von Trier

Dancer in the Dark, like many of Lars von Trier‘s movies, can feel overly, even unfairly punitive. Björk‘s leading character is a poor factory worker with an eye condition and a desire to stop her son from suffering what she has as a result of vile circumstances and, more tellingly, vile human nature. Her suffering happens in unsparing, grimly constructed detail; one of von Trier’s more smeary Dogme 95 works shot on gnarly DV tape.

But if you stare amid this path toward human annihilation, you will find a ton of beauty, escape, and one of the wildest usages of the musical form. When the banal evils of Björk’s life become too much to bear, she subsumes herself into a musical fantasy world. Suddenly, the colors brighten, the cameras become more intentionally composed, and the world turns into a song-and-dance fantasia where things dip their toes into the pool of “making sense.” This dichotomy in styles, in truth versus fantasy, makes for a gripping, gritty watch, a film that retains a blunt power of efficacy in all kinds of emotional directions. – Gregory Lawrence

21 ‘Frozen’ (2013)

Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck

Frozen is clearly one of Disney’s most popular and most successful films in the 21st century, but it’s also one of their best. The movie feels like an adaptation of a Broadway musical, even though it’s really a loose adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen. Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel create real magic with their voices in service of a familiar but unexpectedly fresh take on sisterhood.

The songs drive the story, and songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez expertly weave a tale of rejection, familial love, and acceptance throughout this phenomenal soundtrack. “Let It Go” was a years-long earworm for a reason, but the childlike wonder of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” and the silly hilarity of “In Summer” solidify this as one of the best musicals and musical soundtracks of the 21st century. – Adam Chitwood

20 ‘Happy Feet’ (2006)

Directed by George Miller

George Miller‘s odd, dark, and often fun animated look at the lives of singing and dancing penguins belongs on this list if for no other reason than this: when the film was screened for Prince to get his approval to use his song “Kiss,” he ended up liking it so much that he wrote an original song for it. The concept of a movie musical is baked into the core DNA of Happy Feet, as we learn an important fact about penguins previously unknown to the human world — when adult penguins are trying to find their perfect mates, they sing their “heartsongs” to find out what songs might be compatible.

The mash-ups of pop/rock favorites like “Boogie Wonderland,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Somebody to Love,” “I Wish,” and more are very solid, with the added bonus of the great voice cast lending their vocal talents. While some slight emotional scarring may occur after viewing (those seals were scary), Miller remains a master of the slightly disturbing but ultimately charming family film. – Liz Shannon Miller

19 ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ (2018)

Directed by Ol Parker

There are classic sequels that are regarded as vast improvements over their predecessors. Then, there’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which takes the Godfather Part II approach of being both a sequel and a prequel to the first film. The first film was cute and charming, basically feeling like a group of great actors just going on vacation to Greece and doing an epic week of drinking, dancing, and karaoke singing while someone brought a camera along. However, Here We Go Again actually feels like a proper movie.

The story has some nuance to it, the characters have depth and arcs to them, and the actors actually look like they’re trying. And even if you lose one Meryl Streep, you win Lily James, Andy Garcia, and freaking Cher — and Cher makes everything better. This is as close as you get to a contemporary take on a classic Hollywood musical-turned-summer blockbuster. The musical numbers actually move the story along through visual storytelling while the choreography is shot like classic MGM musicals, and there are some visually impressive camera movements and editing tricks done to merge timelines and story threads. – Rafael Motamayor

18 ‘Moana’ (2016)

Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements

With a resume of beloved Disney animated musical classics that includes The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, writers/directors Ron Clements and John Musker hit the mark again with 2016’s Moana. This time with a musical assist from Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda, who co-wrote the film’s songs alongside Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina. The result is a charming, catchy-as-hell reinvention of the Disney princess narrative.

Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) isn’t your average fairytale princess ready to risk it all for love; she’s the future leader of her people, an ambitious, clever, and athletic hero chosen by the ocean for a mythic adventure that brings her face-to-face with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson). The mythology and magic that made Clements and Musker’s previous films such favorites are on full display, but Moana‘s not-so-secret weapon is the enchanting soundtrack, a fusion of traditional music and belting Broadway numbers. – Haleigh Foutch

17 ‘The Muppets’ (2011)

Directed by James Bobin

2011’s The Muppets gives fans of these felt-constructed mischief-makers (and Kermit, who’s just trying to hold the mischief together) everything they’d want in a musical comedy version while charting identities of their own. The Muppets, featuring star and co-writer Jason Segel, is full of heart, its standout songs being tearjerkers like “Pictures in My Head” and Oscar-winner “Man or Muppet.”

A successful reinvention of a classic and beloved formula, The Muppets gives a broad, clean overview of what the titular characters can provide. Moreover, this charming and contagious musical makes audiences keenly aware of the prodigious talents of director James Bobin and songwriter Bret McKenzie. – Gregory Lawrence

16 ‘Wicked’ (2024)

Directed by John M. Chu

The massively popular musical Wicked took its sweet time to get to the silver screen, but the wait was worth it — for the most part, anyway. Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, the notorious green witch who forms an unexpected bond with the pink-obsessed Galinda (Ariana Grande) and discovers dangerous secrets about her land and the mysterious wizard who rules it.

Although suitably larger-than-life, Wicked is also surprisingly stale and lacking in the whimsy and charm of its stage source material. The grey, washed-up cinematography fails to convey the magic of Oz, so it’s up to the lead actresses to sell the fantasy aspect of the story. Luckily, Erivo and Grande rise to the challenge, doing justice to these iconic characters and ultimately making Wickeda worthwhile offering with irresistible songs and a few jaw-dropping sequences. – David Caballero

15 ‘Dreamgirls’ (2006)

Directed by Bill Condon

A crowdpleaser, a whirlwind, an absolute force of a film — Dreamgirls is translated to the screen by writer/director Bill Condon, who packs the runtime with so much music, emotion, broad efficacy, and pained nuance. The powerful cast members — including Beyoncé Knowles, an Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie Foxx — arrive at this material hungry and eager, giving these songs (by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen) a sense of drive and passion you must pay attention to.

And yet, skillfully and subtly, Condon plays with whether or not the film’s language pays attention to them, somewhat ruthlessly sliding the show-stopper, Hudson’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” directly into the next song, representing a greedy world eager to move on if it’s advantageous for those leading the charge. Astonishing on a scene-to-scene level and neatly constructed as an overall statement, Dreamgirls continues to clobber. – Gregory Lawrence

14 ‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009)

Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements

In the pantheon of killer Disney’s “I Want” songs, “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog might take the cake. Like the rest of the film, it’s energetic and dazzling, combining impulses both retro and new (the entire film has beautifully hand-drawn animation, but this sequence goes even further into animation’s past for something wholly beautiful). It centers and endears us to Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) perfectly, making her one of Disney’s most relatable protagonists even as she’s flung into a fantastical love story involving a dang frog (Bruno Campos).

The film bustles with energy, charisma, heart (for the moon of all things!), and some welcomely incendiary satire on class politics. Plus, beyond “Almost There,” Randy Newman‘s New Orleans jazz-tinged tunes are simply rollicking. Oh, and Keith David is chewing up the scenery as the villain, which immediately should put this film in the Film Hall of Fame (if that doesn’t exist, get on it, please). – Gregory Lawrence

13 ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ (2007)

Directed by Tim Burton

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is quite an impressive achievement. The idea of late-period Tim Burton taking this complicated, intentional masterwork from intentionally complicated master Stephen Sondheim and turning it into a CGI-addled playground might’ve pulled some fans of the stage version off. Alas, they can breathe a sigh of relief because, against all odds, it works.

Common Burton collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter star, yes, and it is full of the unnaturally CGI-boosted camera swirling and production design favored by Burton in this period. But he’s dialing all of these screws in to say something fierce, funny, and fanged. Every piece of his adaptation is chosen with care, from the sparse handheld camerawork to the oversaturated blood that splatters all over the desaturated frame. He even cuts some of the most well-known music from the original Broadway show, rightly so. Burton and his team have taken the raw materials of Sondheim’s work and turned them into a deliciously macabre slice of cinematic pie. – Gregory Lawrence

12 ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ (2021)

Directed by Lin Manuel Miranda

After watching tick, tick… BOOM!, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut and an adaptation of Jonathan Larson‘s autobiographical musical, you might want to do everything. From its relentlessly chugging yet obviously splendorous opening number to its bittersweet usage of real footage at the end, the film heartily endorses the simple power and beauty of being alive. Andrew Garfield gives what might be his best performance as Larson himself, a struggling musical writer trying to create something great while time’s clock keeps on ticking.

Garfield is a magnetic, charismatic, constantly kinetic force, an anchor to a powerful ensemble of musical ringers like Alexandra Shipp and Robin de Jesús. But thankfully, Miranda’s film is not pure hagiography, and it’s more than willing to dive into the problematic compulsions and sacrifices that come with being such a single-minded artist. Existential crises never sounded so catchy nor left one feeling so inspired. – Gregory Lawrence

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11 ‘Once’ (2007)

Directed by John Carney

John Carney’s 2007 indie Once remains as tender and beautiful as it was when it was first released. The story follows two struggling musicians (played by real musicians and the film’s composers, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) who end up falling in love with each other.

It’s such a simple story, and yet the creative force behind it shows us the power of music to forge a connection with each other and convey a depth of emotion that simple words sometimes fail to do. It’s impossible not to feel a twinge in your heart during “Falling Slowly,” but every song, whether it’s “When Your Mind’s Made Up” or “Say It to Me Now,” is absolutely lovely. – Matt Goldberg

10 ‘In the Heights’ (2021)

Directed by John M. Chu

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s best-known musical may now be Hamilton, but that doesn’t make his first Tony-winning musical a slouch. If anything, In the Heights feels like a more personal story about the immigrant experience and what it’s like to wrestle with expectations of what kind of life you should have. With its ensemble cast, the story wrestles with the tension of whether you should leave to pursue individual goals or if it’s better to stay in your community and invest in your home.

The screen version takes on an entirely new life thanks to Jon M. Chu’s excellent direction that brings fresh energy to Miranda’s catchy tunes. Yet, Chu doesn’t allow himself, the story, or the performances to disappear behind the overt showmanship, never losing the emotional core that made this breakout work so endearing in the first place. – Matt Goldberg

9 ‘Coco’ (2017)

Directed by Adrian Molina and Lee Unkrich

Pixar is behind many modern animated classics, pretty much dominating the landscape from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s. 2017’s Coco, one of the rare musicals to come out of the studio, is a standout, a tale of generational fear and trauma soaked deep in colorful musical numbers and endless, near-overwhelming charm. The story follows a young boy who accidentally travels to the land of the dead and must find a way back.

Both a sweet and irresistible musical and a love letter to Mexican traditions, Coco is possibly the last great animated musical. Every frame is constructed with care and affection for Mexico’s culture, but it’s the timeless and universal story that truly resonates with everyone who has ever had to let go of someone dear. The songs are equally impressive, but the clear winner is the Oscar-winning, heartbreaking anthem “Remember Me.” – David Caballero

8 ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ (2013)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

The Coen Brothers’ 2013 film Inside Llewyn Davis is somewhat divisive among fans of these distinct directors. Some find it to be a minor work in their varied filmography, while others hail it as one of their masterpieces. I’m in the latter camp, as I find Inside Llewyn Davis to be a heartbreakingly personal film about artistic struggle and the lives of many artists who don’t become Bob Dylan. Oscar Isaac breathes Llewyn Davis to life with such passion, anger and jealous rage, and when he picks up that guitar, he bares his broken soul to the world even more.

The folk-inspired soundtrack is equal parts gut-wrenching and beautiful, with hilarious ditties like “Please, Mr. Kennedy” thrown in for good measure (just because the film is dramatic doesn’t mean it’s devoid of the Coens’ distinct sense of humor). That the Coen Brothers can just toss off a brilliant musical ode to artists and the folk scene of the ’60s in between an epic Western (True Grit) and an old Hollywood comedy (Hail, Caesar!) is a testament to their range and talent as two of our greatest living filmmakers. – Adam Chitwood

7 ‘La La Land’ (2016)

Directed by Damian Chazelle

Millions could easily relate to Damien Chazelle‘s impassioned ode to the fools who dream. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are both fantastic as ill-fated lovers Sebastian and Mia, one a jazz musician, the other an aspiring actress. The two have excellent chemistry together, whether they’re singing and dancing in the moonlight or arguing like most normal couples.

This film is full of stylistic flights of fancy, but it’s also grounded in a timeless kind of realism; in the real world, things don’t always work out, and not everyone gets a happy ending. Though La La Land la-la-lost Best Picture in dramatic fashion, it remains a beautiful movie about love, loss, and the things we sacrifice for the sake of art. Plus, it deserves credit for helping to put the now-formidable songwriting duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul on the map. – Jeff Sneider

6 ‘Enchanted’ (2007)

Directed by Kevin Lima

Musicals went hand-in-hand with Disney for decades until the early 2000s, when the Mouse House started to move away from films that were so song-oriented. But Disney’s 2007 film Enchanted brilliantly brought musicals back in a smart way by taking a self-referential approach to the Disney brand. The plot of Enchanted is basically: what if an animated Disney princess came to life and had to navigate real-world Manhattan?

Six-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams is perfectly cast here as Giselle, nailing the wide-eyed wonderment that permeates through most Disney animated films but also making the character feel real and dimensional. That’s no small feat, and it’s a testament to Kevin Lima’s direction and catchy songs by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken that the movie strikes the perfect balance between snark and earnestness. – Adam Chitwood