With the impending release of Wicked: For Good and the rousing success of the first installment, musical movies are hotter than ever. 2025 has also seen KPop Demon Hunters become the biggest movie in Netflix history, while the best modern musicals include The Greatest Showman, In the Heights, and La La Land.
Everyone knows those movies, even if they don’t truly appreciate the musical genre. However, the true fun is finding the hidden gem musicals. The ones that manage to feature fun musical numbers and great singing on relatively small budgets. They flew under the radar but are actually some of the best musicals ever made.
Vivo (2021)
It’s kind of surprising that more people don’t talk about Vivo. This Netflix original animated movie features the voice talents and songwriting skills of Lin-Manuel Miranda and there’s simply no bigger name in musicals these days than him, thanks to his creation of Hamilton and In the Heights.
Vivo tells the story of the titular kinkajou, who loves the music he performs with his human friend Andrés. When Andrés dies, Vivo goes on a journey to fulfill his destiny and deliver a love song to a retiring singer whom Andrés was close to.
Reviews for Vivo were strong, with praise going to Miranda’s songs, the animation style, and the talented voice cast. Miranda is joined by Brian Tyree Henry, Zoe Saldaña, and the legendary Gloria Estefan, to name a few, giving Vivo one of the best musical ensembles around.
Sing Street (2016)
Released in 2016, Sing Street is something of a different kind of musical. Instead of people randomly breaking out into song and dance numbers, the film tells a story that’s centered around the creation of music and the formation of a band.
In the film, a teenage boy forms a band in an effort to impress a girl he likes. It’s a simple setup, yet it works because it’s heartwarming, relatable, and of course, the music is a highlight. Several songs that the titular band crafts are memorable.
Sing Street was well-received, with acclaim going to the ’80s Dublin setting, the musical performances, and the acting of the cast, which includes Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, and more. Sing Street was also nominated for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes.
Oliver & Company (1986)
Walt Disney Animation Studios is often associated with musicals. Their biggest movies include The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Moana, Frozen, Aladdin, and several others that feature iconic songs that have withstood the test of time.
However, one Disney animated movie that remains an underrated gem is Oliver & Company. Inspired by Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, the film follows a homeless kitten who finds friends in a pack of dogs to help him survive his time on the streets in 1980s New York City.
Oliver & Company should be remembered better because of the sheer quality of the music. The story itself is strong and is much better than the mixed reviews it received, but the music is top-notch. “Why Should I Worry?” is one of the best Disney songs in history thanks to Billy Joel’s fantastic talents.
Sing 2 (2021)
The first Sing movie in 2016 became a hit that grossed over $600 million and gets replayed on TV networks all the time. Kids everywhere loved it and the soundtrack, which features covers of popular songs, is one of the strongest points.
Sing 2 is a sequel that’s just about as good as the original, yet it has kind of been forgotten. It didn’t perform as well at the box office, though the COVID-19 era has something to do with that, and it doesn’t feel like it has the same staying power as the first.
That said, Sing 2 is actually pretty great. Reviews were strong and the new musical numbers are fantastic. From Scarlett Johansson’s take on “Heads Will Roll” to Halsey’s “Could Have Been Me” to the addition of Bono to the cast, Sing 2 has music everyone can enjoy.
If you’ve never seen Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas, that’s understandable. This holiday film is a spin-off of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, a fantastic show that was criminally underseen and canceled after two seasons. The premise sees Zoey end up with the ability to hear people’s inner thoughts through extravagant musical numbers only visible to her.
Following the show’s unjust cancellation, Roku picked up the rights to cap things off with a holiday movie, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas. The film picks up where the show left off and gives fans the satisfying ending they wanted.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas also works as the kind of holiday movie you can watch each year. There are covers of everything from Christmas hits like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” to pop songs like Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (2022)
Most of us grew up with Matilda, whether it was Roald Dahl’s book or the 1996 movie starring Mara Wilson. A lot of people don’t know that a stage musical was made based on the story back in 2010, which is what led to the creation of this remake.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical tells the story we’ve come to love but does so with the addition of some fantastic songs. Alisha Weir is tremendous as Matilda, especially when she has to sing “Quiet,” which she delivers so well.
The film itself is great, especially with Emma Thompson’s unrecognizable performance as the villainous Ms. Trunchbull. It holds an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the final big musical number, “Revolting Children,” is pretty epic.
Across The Universe (2007)
It’s rare but there are a handful of movie musicals that are based on the songs of a particular act. For example, Mamma Mia! is solely focused on music by ABBA while 2019’s Yesterday is about The Beatles. However, Yesterday wasn’t the first musical centered on The Beatles.
That was Across the Universe, a jukebox musical from director Julie Taymor. Set in the 1960s, the film tells the story of Jude, a man who leaves Liverpool for the United States to find his father, only to fall in love with Lucy, who joins the anti-war movement of the time.
Across the Universe does a really good job of balancing the romance with the political themes but it’s the music where it shines. The movie features more than 30 songs by The Beatles and was nominated for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes.
Burlesque (2010)
Your film is guaranteed to have good music if the likes of Christina Aguilera and Cher are your two leading ladies, which is why Burlesque works so well as a musical. The film did moderately well at the box office but didn’t receive rave reviews.
That’s probably why it has been forgotten to time, but any musical fan who checks out Burlesque is bound to have a good time. The movie follows an aspiring singer who heads to Los Angeles to make it big and ends up as a performer at a struggling burlesque club.
The dialogue might not be anything special, but the cast (Aguilera and Cher are joined by Kristen Bell, Alan Cumming, and more) bring it with their performances, and the musical numbers stand out. Watching Aguilera’s protagonist become the club’s main attraction is captivating.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021)
Jonathan Butterell made his directorial debut with Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, an adaptation of the stage play of the same name, which was adapted from a BBC documentary. The story centers on a teenage boy who dreams of becoming a drag queen.
Throughout the tale, Jamie overcomes bullying and prejudice to make his dream come true, set to the tune of some phenomenal musical numbers. Max Harwood is incredible as the titular Jamie despite this being his motion picture debut.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is an emotional story with some heartbreaking and uplifting moments. It was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the BAFTAs and sits at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, while featuring cameos from drag queen legends and a scene-stealing turn by Richard E. Grant.
Anna And The Apocalypse (2017)
While plenty of movies cover several genres, not many do it like Anna and the Apocalypse. This film is part musical, part zombie horror, part Christmas movie, making for one of the most unique blends you’ll ever see.
Anna and the Apocalypse follows the titular Anna and her friends during the holiday season when a zombie outbreak hits their small town. That sets the stage for some fantastic zombie fighting scenes, some of which are set to music, with the best being “Soldier at War.”
Ella Hunt is great in the lead role and lends her tones to memorable songs like “Break Away” and “Hollywood Ending.” The movie holds nothing back when it comes to zombie action and the talented young actors give their all to the catchy, impressively produced musical numbers. It’s perfect for an annual Christmas viewing.
