20 Movie Musicals Ranked From Worst to Best

What came first, the movie or the musical? Well, today it doesn’t matter because we’re ranking 20 movie musicals from worst to best.

Movies and musicals have always gone hand in hand. In fact, musicals are so popular on screen that some TV shows come up with the wildest plot points to squeeze in a musical episode. Luckily, we won’t be talking about any of those today. We’re talking full-blown movie musicals. 

From star-studded CG nightmares to animated classics, we’ve selected 20 movie musicals of note - both good and bad. 

20. Cats (2019)

Sorry, Andrew Lloyd Webber, but it is universally acknowledged that Cats is the worst movie musical of all time. 

The 2019 feline-filled film had all the ingredients for success. A classic musical that is beloved by millions. A stellar cast. Cats. Unfortunately, the musical movie just didn’t turn out how anyone imagined, and it was a critical and box office flop. 

19. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

Who doesn’t want a joy-filled romp on a Greek island? The 2008 Mamma Mia! musical movie adaptation brought all the sun, laughter and hits to the silver screen so people all around the world can enjoy the ABBA jukebox musical. And they did! So much so, there was a sequel made.

With Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic West, and Christine Baranski, it had the blingiest of star castings.

Though Mamma Mia! was a massive success, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again didn’t quite fulfil its potential. Rewinding to Donna’s time on the island, the younger cast members made the film lose some of its charm and, dare we say, cheesiness. 

18. Matilda The Musical (2022)

So it was a book that was adapted into a film which was adapted into a musical which was adapted into a musical movie. So it has to be good!

Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly rocked the world when Matilda The Musical opened at the Cambridge Theatre in 2010. Telling the tale of a special little girl, it was fun, witty, and relatable for a lot of children. So when a musical movie adaptation hit the screens, kids all over the world were obsessed. 

And it wasn’t a bad movie. It just lacked a bit of magic.

17. La La Land (2016)

In 2016, Damien Chazelle, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul breathed new life into movie musicals… with the help of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. La La Land was a critical and box office hit. It even received 11 Academy Award nominations, winning five.

The musical movie was so popular that a stage adaptation is currently in the works. And though it was beloved when it first came out, its adoration seems to have dipped over the past decade. 

16. Into The Woods (2014)

Stephen Sondheim’s fairytale mash-up has earned its legacy in musical theatre history. Into The Woods features characters from tales you know and love including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and more, to highlight the darker side of these children’s stories.

Starring Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, and Emily Blunt, it was bound to be a box office hit, though it received mixed reviews from critics.

Prior to the film’s release, it hadn’t been on the West End stage since 1990. But if you’re quick, you can see it at the Noel Coward Theatre.

15. Oliver! (1968)

There’s nothing more nostalgic than watching Oliver! on the TV while picking out the toffee coins from a tin of Roses. The classic movie musical made Oliver feel like part of the family every time it was shown at Christmas. And even though the musical movie is almost 60 years old, it’s still a fan favourite.

14. The Greatest Showman (2017)

Singing and tap dancing Hugh Jackman is the best kind of Hugh Jackman, and that’s exactly what we got in The Greatest Showman.

Telling the story of circus owner and showman, P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is a period drama that gives us a peek behind the curtain while dazzling us with all the glitz the Big Top has to offer.

Alongside Hugh Jackman was Zendaya and Zac Efron, plus musical theatre legend, Keala Settle. With those stars and a score from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, it was a surefire hit.

13. Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Baz Luhrmann’s glamorous jukebox movie musical made waves in cinema. Set in the famed Parisian cabaret, it made a whole generous of uni students try absinthe for the first time (it was not a good time, let me tell you). And when the viewers weren’t chasing the green fairy, they were nursing their broken hearts after witnessing a truly tragic love story.

Moulin Rouge! saw Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor belt out banger after banger, all while pursuing forbidden love. It was loud, it was sexy, and it was emotional. And it’s made an amazing stage musical, too. See the sights of Paris at the Piccadilly Theatre. 

12. The Colour Purple (2023)

Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize novel, The Colour Purple, is an essential piece of literature. It tells the harrowing story of a young black woman living in Georgia in the early 1900s. 

The musical adaptation premiered on Broadway in 2005, where it was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. It was revived in 2015 and took home the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical Award. The success of the stage show led to a musical movie adaptation, which was a critical success.

11. The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King is the pride and joy of Disney. Not only was the original animated musical movie a global success, but the resulting stage musical at the Lyceum Theatre is still a favourite today. Both were so successful that Disney made a photorealistic remake starring Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Beyonce. It shattered box office records and earned a whopping $1.657 billion globally.

10. Cabaret (1972)

Though the film came out over 50 years ago, Cabaret still feels as relevant as ever. The Kander and Ebb musical movie about an underground club in 1930s Berlin sees a group of misfits and artists who refuse to be anything but themselves - despite the danger.

The 1972 movie musical was such a big success, it was selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry due to its significance.