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The Musical

Play trailer 2:08 Poster for The Musical Now Playing 1h 24m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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62% Tomatometer 42 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings
Doug, a frustrated playwright and middle school theater teacher, learns his ex is dating his nemesis, the school principal. To get revenge and cost him a Blue Ribbon Award, Doug secretly stages the most inappropriate play imaginable.
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The Musical

Critics Reviews

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Juan Barquin RogerEbert.com 4 hrs ago
1/4
Giselle Bonilla’s feature debut simply doesn’t have anything worth saying. It is neither funny nor provocative, so what, if anything, is left? Go to Full Review
Natalia Winkelman New York Times 19 hrs ago
We find some welcome respite from this role in the young actors playing Doug’s theater students, who are genuinely funny as competitive overachievers. Go to Full Review
Liz Shannon Miller Consequence Feb 3, 2026
B-
It never feels like director Giselle Bonilla and writer Alexander Heller want us to think of Doug as a heroic figure, but he's an unlikeable enough presence that it's hard to be sure of their intentions. Go to Full Review
Brennan Klein Screen Rant 1 day ago
4/10
The only sizable laughs come from Doug's interactions with his students, while the somber, leaden adult-led scenes that form the crux of the movie's character study just lie flat and slowly rot in front of you. Go to Full Review
Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com 2 days ago
B
Isn’t always inspired, but most of the endeavor is highly amusing, delivering a viewing experience with surprises and a demented sense of humor that’s capably handled by director Giselle Bonilla. Go to Full Review
Rua Fay Cinemasters Sep 3, 2026
the perfect film for those who have been chewed up and spit out by the creative industries they dreamt of being in. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Tom B 1 hr ago Interesting idea but, imho, poorly executed. See more joel G @davidbondo 13 hrs ago what a bunch of garbage..Zero laughs from his interactions with his students, while the somber, adult scenes are flat and boring .. Rob lowe tries to save this movie with his quirky character but overall this movie slowly rots in front of you.Final Grade D-- See more Read all reviews
The Musical

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Movie Info

Synopsis Doug, a frustrated playwright and middle school theater teacher, learns his ex is dating his nemesis, the school principal. To get revenge and cost him a Blue Ribbon Award, Doug secretly stages the most inappropriate play imaginable.
Director
Giselle Bonilla
Producer
Rob Lowe, Greg Lauritano, Alexander Heller, Findlay Brown, Jordan Backhus
Screenwriter
Alexander Heller
Distributor
Blue Harbor Entertainment
Production Co
Unapologetic Film, Megamix
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 18, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 24m
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