The year 2018 had a lot of music based movies. Honestly I wasn’t even able to see them all, and I see a lot of movies. Which 2018 musical movies were my favorite? Which were less than my favorites? Well – here’s a quick list. Mind you, this isn’t a full on article, so I did NOT lie in my “Back to life” playlist…think of this like bonus content. Remember when you used to rent DVDs and they would have added features, or there’d be a hidden track on a CD? Yeah….this article is like that. But I digress. Onward! Here’s my quick thoughts of the 2018 musical movies!
Hearts Beat Loud
Hearts Beat Loud might be my favorite movie of the year. A story about a father and daughter, connected through their music. Oh, and it stars Nick Offerman! What more can you ask? See this movie! Just see it. You won’t regret it. The soundtrack is really great and the story of Hearts Beat Loud will melt your heart.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Did I love Bohemian Rhapsody? Of course I did – I’m a Queen fan. There’s really no debate about loving this movie if you love Queen. My only gripe really is that Bohemian Rhapsody focusses on Freddie Mercury more than any other band member – but then again, Brian May and Roger Taylor both approve of the film. So given that fact, I can forgive the Mercury centricity of Bohemian Rhapsody. Besides, if you’re looking for a thesis – it’s that Mercury couldn’t do it on his own. Freddie Mercury needed his bandmates just as much as they needed him.
Having said all that – I’ll be objective. If you’re not a Queen fan, you might not like this movie. It is, after all, about the music of Queen. So if you don’t like Queen’s music, well…actually if you don’t like Queen, you should probably get yourself tested.
I’ll end by saying if this movie won best picture, I’d be ok with that.
A Star Is Born
This movie was made in 1937 with Janet Gaynor, then in 1954 with Judy Garland, and a third time in 1976 starring Barbara Streisand. So did we really need a fourth version with Lady Gaga? Yes. Yes we did. A Star is Born (2018) made me cry a million tears to say the least. Of course we know how A Star is Born is going to end – but the overall execution of the film still gave us an emotional roller coaster. 2018’s A Star is Born is a much welcome remake of an already classic movie. See it!
Anna and the Apocalypse
Maybe you’ve heard of Anna and The Apocalypse, maybe you haven’t. If you haven’t heard of the film – well don’t see it (yet) because this movie is all about Christmas….with zombies and pop music.
Fans of films such as “Shaun of the Dead” might particularly love this film. Not just because of the British zombie horror genre, though that’s certainly part of the appeal. Having said that, this is not just a remake of a Simon Peg movie. Anna and The Apocalypse has its own depth and its own voice. Oh, and the music is catchy too!
See it next Christmas!
Green Book
Some call this movie Oscar bait – those people are wrong. I love this movie, and of all the movies nominated for best picture, this is my pick to win. The story, a true story mind you, really was interesting and I feel like Green Book is a story that needed to be told.
See this movie – and don’t let the haters spoil Green Book for you.
I Can Only Imagine
I can only imagine why they decided to make this movie. It was schmaltzy and honestly – not that great of a story. I still loved every minute of I can Only Imagine, but maybe just because I love movies about music. Yeah – this movie was certainly a cash grab…oh well. It kept me entertained on a long flight.
So yeah – unless you really like this song or the band MercyMe, you shouldn’t see this movie. Eh, maybe I’m being too harsh. This was a good “dreams can come true” type of movie so there’s that.
By the way – what the heck was with the casting? Nicole Duport looked nothing like Amy Grant. Nothing!
What 2018 musical movies did I miss?
I know there’s a few 2018 musical movies that I didn’t mention in this list. I’ll admit I’m blanking on a few I wanted to add to this list. There’s also a few 2018 musicals I have yet to see (Mary Poppins Return for instance). I can’t see ALL the movies, can I? So with that knowledge, what 2018 musical movies did I miss? Which ones would you recommend, and which ones would you recommend I skip?
Anyways – 2018 was a great year for musicals. May 2019 be just as good.
