Musicalshold a special place in people’s hearts. The mix of drama, song, and choreography bring about a certain type of joy the three arts separately could not elicit from viewers and listeners. A few titans in the genre tend to take all the attention, however.
RELATED:Polarizing Games With Undeniably Incredibly Music
Movies likeWest Side Story,Greece,Singing' in the Rain, and a few others are all the rage. However, plenty of lesser-known musicals exist that equally deserve our love and adoration. The films below all have something special to offer. For the most part, it is easy to understand why these remain niche. Either they are directed toward adults or they are foreign films that did not receive wide distribution and marketing internationally.
9Jolly Fellows
It is impossible to overstate how much of a monster Joseph Stalin was. The dictator loved his art and cinema, though, and ensured the Soviet Union made movies on par with what Hollywood was delivering at the time.
There were a series of musicalsmade in the 30sand 40s with impressive music and choreography.Jolly Fellowsremains one of the most fondly remembered. Even today it is endlessly charming and filled with silly slapstick humor.
8Belle
This animated film comes from director Mamoru Hosoda, who is already known for making emotionally charged science fiction movies.Belleis about a timid girl who becomes an anonymous pop sensation thanks to aVR social media program.
RELATED:Every Mamoru Hosoda Movie, Ranked
She loved music in real life but lost the connection to it after a traumatic experience in her childhood. Unlike a lot of films about the Internet and social media,Belleshows a more positive side of it to viewers. The animation is also gorgeous.Some shots should be framed and put on a wall.
7Dancer In The Dark
This is maybe the dourestmusical on the list, which is expected from director Lars von Trier.Dancer in the Darkstars Bjork as an immigrant to the United States with a slowly deteriorating vision.
She works to save money to give her son an operation to verify he does not lose his sight. Viewers should not go into this movie expecting a jolly time. All the same, it is worth watching for Bjork’s performance alone.
6Stilyagi
The word “stilyagi” roughly translates to hipster. This Russian musical follows a subculture from the 50s and 60s who dressed in colorful clothing and listened to outlawed music. In addition to showcasing Moscow during this era, it is also filled with teen drama and a tumultuous love story.
Despite the oppressive environment where the characters live, the film is rather uplifting, aided by the upbeat music and positive themes.
5American Pop
Animated films for adults have a rough time grabbing an audience.American Popis an odyssey following a family through the years through the lens of the changing pop music scene. Appropriately, it utilizes a soundtrack populated by classic pop tunes from the early decades of rock and roll.
Director Ralph Bakshi is known for makingadult-orientedanimated films, though he also has some live-action work under his belt. He also did the animatedLord of the Ringsfrom the 1970s.
4Cannibal: The Musical
It is no secret that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone love musicals.South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncutis one, after all, and the show often features musical numbers.
It is no surprise, then, that Trey Parker’s first film was a musical about someone on trial for cannibalism in the 19th century.Cannibal: The Musicalwas his student film, but Troma Entertainment picked it up for wider distribution. The songs are upbeat and positive despite the story it tells.
3Rock N' Roll High School
The Ramones, one of the forefathers of punk rock, starred in their own movie musical along the lines of the Beatles’A Hard Days NightandHelp. It might be hard to callRock N' Roll High Schoola good movie, but it is a fun time for anybody who remotely likes the band or rock music in general.
Roger Corman was the executive producer, so this should tell viewers what to expect in terms of quality. It is an unapologetic celebration of rock and roll music, and this alone warrants a viewing.
2The Song Will Be Between Us
The Song Will Be Between Us is the name of a television film from the Soviet Union in the early 70s. It features songs mainly written by various songwriters, including Ukrainian composer Volodymyr Ivasyuk, and sang mostly by legendary singers like Sofia Rotaru. Anyone with an interest in Ukrainian culture should know these two names. The songs vary between the Ukrainian language and Russian.
There were a small series of television films with a similar format released during the decade, withChervona Rutabeing another popular one. There is not much of a story here. Instead, it feels more like a series of loosely connected music videos. The songs take considerable influence from funk and R&B but still remain distinctly Ukrainian. For an in-depth look at the musical culture of Ukraine in the 70s, watch the documentaryMustache Funk.
1Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog
Joss Whedon has a fascination with musicals. There was even an episode ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerfilled with musical numbers.Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blogis a short film compromising of short episodes about an evil supervillain who falls in love with an innocent woman.
The character is played Neil Patrick Harris, and Nathan Fillion plays the pompous superhero nemesis, Captain Hammer. It is unexpectedly touching and tragic for such a wild concept.
