With The Musical, director Giselle Bonilla attempts to deliver a dark comedy that isn't afraid to push boundaries and tackle social issues. The film combines exaggerated humor with a story about revenge, personal frustrations, and the world of school theater. This approach produces some interesting moments, but unfortunately, not everything works as well as it could.
Although The Musical clearly has an identity of its own, the combination of absurd humor, an unsympathetic protagonist, and outspoken social commentary sometimes makes the film difficult to digest. Fortunately, there are also some positives, including the young actors, who deliver surprisingly strong performances.
What Is The Musical (2026) About?
In The Musical, we follow Doug Leibowitz (Will Brill), a frustrated playwright and teacher at a high school. Doug dreams of making it as a writer, but his personal and professional life hasn't exactly turned out the way he had hoped.
When he discovers that his ex-girlfriend Abigail (Gillian Jacobs) is now dating school principal Brady (Rob Lowe), his frustration turns into a desire for revenge. Doug decides to sabotage the principal's ambitions by using the school's theater production for his own rather controversial plans.
What follows is an increasingly chaotic attempt to undermine his rival, with the students becoming caught up in his personal vendetta along the way.
The premise offers plenty of potential for a dark comedy. After all, a frustrated teacher trying to solve his own problems by letting a school production spiral completely out of control could lead to some wonderfully absurd situations. The question is whether the film can turn these ideas into a story that works as a whole.
The Musical Relies Too Much on Over-the-Top Humor
One of the most noticeable aspects of The Musical is its humor. The film frequently opts for exaggeration, provocation, and situations designed to make the audience uncomfortable. This approach suits the story and the kind of character Doug is, but the execution isn't always successful.
The main problem is that the humor sometimes clashes with the rest of the film. At certain points, it feels as though the comedy is heading in a completely different direction from the story itself. As a result, the balance between the absurd, funny situations and the more serious elements isn't always natural.
That doesn't mean the humor never works. The film certainly has moments when its exaggerated approach leads to entertaining situations. However, the impact becomes weaker when almost everything has to be taken to the extreme.
Exaggeration can be an excellent way to poke fun at certain ideas or characters, but a film needs a good sense of timing and restraint to make it work. The Musical doesn't always get that balance right.
Doug Is a Difficult Protagonist to Root For
Another problem is the protagonist himself. Doug is clearly frustrated with his life and feels that he deserves more than he has achieved so far. That is, in itself, an understandable starting point for a character.
Things become considerably more difficult when his frustrations increasingly turn into a desire to make life miserable for others.
Revenge is the driving force behind the story, but the reasons motivating Doug aren't particularly convincing or compelling enough to justify his behavior. Much of the time, he seems primarily concerned with his own bruised ego, without giving much thought to the consequences his actions have for the people around him.
As a result, it's difficult to see him as a genuinely likable character. You might understand where his frustrations come from, but that doesn't mean you can excuse his behavior.
Of course, Doug does develop throughout the film. As you would expect from a story like this, he is eventually forced to confront his own behavior and the way he treats the people around him. This development is important because it gives the story some emotional depth.
Even so, his character growth doesn't always feel sufficient to bridge the gap between him and the audience. Doug remains someone whose choices make it difficult to genuinely root for him.
A Dark Comedy With a Clear Social Message
What makes The Musical interesting is that it wants to be more than just a comedy about a frustrated teacher. The filmmakers also use the story to express their views on society, education, and various social issues.
The film doesn't take a particularly subtle approach. The writer and director's ideas and beliefs are clearly present, shaping how certain events are portrayed.
This can lead to interesting discussions, but it also makes the film more challenging to watch. Not everyone will agree with the viewpoints presented, and at times, it feels as though the film is primarily concerned with emphasizing the filmmakers' own opinions.
At the same time, it would be too easy to dismiss The Musical as a film that simply wants to provoke for the sake of provoking. It seems more likely that the filmmakers genuinely want to say something about the world around them. The controversial choices don't appear to exist solely to generate reactions; they also seem to stem from personal convictions.
That distinction matters. A film is allowed to have strong opinions and doesn't need to please everyone. In fact, some of the most interesting films are precisely those that challenge their audiences.
The problem is that having a clear message doesn't automatically mean that the way it is communicated works. At times, The Musical would have benefited from leaving a little more room for viewers to draw their own conclusions.
The Young Actors Are One of The Musical's Strongest Elements
Working with a large group of young actors always comes with certain risks. Particularly in a film where children play an important role, there is no guarantee that everyone will deliver a natural performance or that each character will be given enough room to shine.
Fortunately, this isn't much of a problem in The Musical.
The young actors are generally very good in their roles and bring plenty of energy to the film. They come across as likable and convincing, making the scenes involving the students some of the more enjoyable parts of the movie.
This is important because the school production and its students aren't merely a side element. They are an essential part of Doug's plans and, consequently, of the story's central events.
The young cast brings enough life to these scenes to keep them engaging. Their presence also creates an interesting contrast with the behavior of the adults, who don't always behave particularly maturely themselves.
It's therefore reassuring that the film delivers in this department. The young actors are one of the reasons The Musical manages to entertain despite its shortcomings.
The Musical Has Interesting Ideas but Lacks the Right Balance
Ultimately, the biggest problem with The Musical is that its various elements don't always fit together.
The film has a clear premise, a protagonist who continually gets himself into trouble, and a strong perspective on several social issues. Its dark humor also gives it a distinct personality.
However, the combination doesn't always feel natural. The exaggerated jokes can clash with the more serious elements of the story, while the social commentary sometimes feels more prominent than necessary. On top of that, Doug isn't always compelling enough to keep the audience invested in his behavior throughout the entire film.
That doesn't automatically make the movie bad. There is enough originality in its approach to distinguish The Musical from an ordinary comedy. It's clear that the filmmakers didn't simply want to tell a predictable story, but rather create something that makes people think and perhaps even challenges their sensibilities.
However, originality alone isn't enough. A film also needs to develop its ideas convincingly, and this is where The Musical misses some opportunities.
Conclusion: Is The Musical (2026) Worth Watching?
The Musical is a dark comedy with a personality of its own, but it's also a film that doesn't always know the best way to communicate its ideas.
The exaggerated humor doesn't consistently land, Doug is difficult to sympathize with because of his vengeful nature, and the social commentary won't resonate with every viewer. The combination of these elements makes the film more of a challenge to watch than you might expect from a comedy.
Fortunately, there are positives as well. The young actors generally deliver strong performances, and the film makes choices you don't encounter in every comedy. It's also clear that the filmmakers genuinely have something to say, rather than simply provoking audiences for attention.
That deserves some credit, even if the final result isn't entirely convincing.
Ultimately, The Musical is a film whose ambitions and unconventional approach are more interesting than its execution. It has potential, but it never fully finds the right balance between humor, storytelling, and social commentary.
Rating: 5/10
