Having given our picks of the best horrors, action movies, thrillers and more, we're looking at the best musicals on Netflix this week.
In recent weeks, we covered the best romantic comedies and sci fi movies on Netflix. We've gone in a totally different direction again for this week, looking at musicals on Netflix.
There are great musical series like 'Glee' and 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' available on the streaming service. We're focussing on films only in this list.
Here are our picks for the best musicals on Netflix now.
West Side Story
We've gone for a mix of classic and modern musicals on Netflix for our picks. 'West Side Story' is one of the oldies. Shot in stunning Technicolour, with music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, Robert Wise and Jerome Roberts directed it with flair. The 1961 movie went on to win 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. An adaptation by Steven Spielberg is in the works.
Mamma Mia! & Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
So we've slightly cheated here including 'Mamma Mia!' and its sequel in our picks, but the second is fabulous too, so sue us. The first one sees bride-to-be Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) try to figure out which of three bachelors (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård) is her father. Her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) tries to hold the fort with her girlfriends (Christine Baranski, Julie Walters). The sequel flashes back to how Donna met Sophie's "dads". It's near-impossible to pick a favourite on the ABBA soundtrack..
La La Land
Almost everyone has seen 'La La Land', the 6-time Oscar winning musical (though not the Best Picture winner, eek...), at this stage. In case you haven't, or care to revisit the modern musical gem, settle in as it follows a jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and aspiring actress (Emma Stone) living in LA. They try to navigate a career and their relationship with one another over the course of the film. The colour, choreography and cinematography are glorious.
Dreamgirls
Fortunately, you don't have "One Night Only" to watch 'Dreamgirls' as the 2006 musical is on Netflix right now. Beyonce, Anika Noni Rose and Jennifer Hudson play The Dreamettes, a girl band who can't wait to make it big. Their chance to be stars comes when Curtis (Jamie Foxx) offers to manage them, but he brings as much strife to the soul group as he does success...
Pitch Perfect
'Pitch Perfect' ended up inspiring two sequels, but you gotta love the first one the best. Anna Kendrick plays Beca, a freshman at Barden University, who gets talked into joining the school's all-girls singing group, The Barden Bellas. As well as impressive covers and some very funny performances from Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Ben Platt and Adam Devine, it's a sweet, feel-good saga about friendship.
The Wizard of Oz
'The Wizard of Oz' has become renowned as a Christmas movie due to it showing on the telly during the holidays every year. But you don't need to wait until December to re-experience the fantasy musical adventure. Judy Garland is absolutely stunning as Dorothy Gale, who has to find her way back home to Kansas after being blown away by a twister to a strange and colourful land.
Annie
'Annie' proved a major Broadway hit so a movie adaptation was inevitable. In fact you can watch both the 1982 film and the 2014 remake with Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhané Wallis on Netflix now. (a made-for-TV 1999 version exists too). The former tends to be the go-to for fans with Aileen Quinn playing a stormer as Little Orphan Annie. We still get teary when she croons "Maybe"...
Funny Girl
Over her illustrious career, Barbra Streisand has led a lot of musicals. But most attribute 'Funny Girl' to being the definitive one of her career. In it, she belts the showstoppers "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "I'm the Greatest Star". But her character also proves insecure and vulnerable, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. You'll want to have tissues at the ready for this one...
Eurovision Song Content: The Story of Fire Saga
The latest entry on our list has quite a mouthful of a title - 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'. The Netflix original is inspired by the titular international singing competition and is, accordingly, full of catchy songs. Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdottir (Rachel McAdams) are chosen to represent Iceland at Eurovision. It has always been their dream. But soon, disaster after disaster strikes...
Begin Again
If you enjoyed 'Sing Street' as well as 'Once', you'll want to check out 'Begin Again', which director-writer John Carney made in between the films. Unlike his other titles, it features some big names including Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Maroon 5's Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld and Catherine Keener. Yet the movie never feels too big for its boots, which is part of its charm, as is its impressive original soundtrack.
