Narrative Musical backdrop

Narrative Musical movies

A story where songs are part of the plot, expressing emotion and moving the narrative forward.

Moulin Rouge!

1. Moulin Rouge!

Drama Romance Music Passionate Romance Narrative Musical
7.6
20012h 8min

Overview

A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club's most notorious and beautiful star.

Themes

Duke leverage, Courtesan agency, Nightclub constraint, Tuberculosis stigma, Bohemian aspiration, Dance hall spectacle

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Man Who Cried

2. The Man Who Cried

Romance Drama Music War Romantic Epic
6.1
20001h 36min

Overview

A young refugee travels from Russia to America in search of her lost father and falls in love with a gypsy horseman.

Themes

Displacement and longing, Persecution and danger, Forbidden romance across borders, Renaming and assimilation pressure, Survival through performance, Art as refuge

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Swing Kids

3. Swing Kids

Music Drama Historical Drama Narrative Musical
6.8
19931h 52min

Overview

The story of a close-knit group of young kids in Nazi Germany who listen to banned swing music from the US. Soon dancing and fun leads to more difficult choices as the Nazis begin tightening the grip on Germany. Each member of the group is forced to face some tough choices about right, wrong, and survival.

Themes

Youth under authoritarian pressure, Music as resistance, Peer loyalty under surveillance, Cultural suppression and risk, Ideology vs personal loyalty, Group identity under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

4. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Music Comedy Family Fantasy Drama
7.8
19921h 26min

Overview

A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during night-time visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Themes

Miser vs charity, Childhood memories shaping present, Holiday spirit vs miser, Past and future visions, Victorian era social norms, Puppet motif and puppetry

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sister Act

5. Sister Act

Music Comedy Narrative Musical Ensemble Comedy
6.5
19921h 40min

Overview

A Reno singer witnesses a mob murder and the cops stash her in a nunnery to protect her from the mob's hitmen. The mother superior does not trust her, and takes steps to limit her influence on the other nuns. Eventually the singer rescues the failing choir and begins helping with community projects, which gets her an interview on TV—and identification by the mob.

Themes

Identity vs role, Outsider integration into community, Music as social catalyst, Institutional renewal through art, Leadership through unconventional talent, Media-driven parish revival

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.