Courtney Howard // Film Critic
THE MUSICAL
Not Rated, 1 hour and 24 minutes
Directed by: Giselle Bonilla
Starring: Will Brill, Rob Lowe, Gillian Jacobs, Nevada Jose, Melanie Herrera, Chyler Emery Stern
People think they can copy Tim Robinson’s shtick. Last year’s FRIENDSHIP capitalized on his signature style and archetypal awkward frump, casting him as the lead – and it worked like gangbusters. However, the filmmakers behind THE MUSICAL demonstrate they clearly can not. Director Giselle Bonilla and writer Alexander Heller’s cringe-com about a frustrated teacher exacting revenge on a handsome archrival plays like a cross between ELECTION and a sketch inspired by I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE. But it’s a one-trick pony that coasts off its premise, and even the short runtime can’t sustain it. While the finale assuredly pays off the concept’s promise in a genuinely uproarious, bonkers and provocative manner, too much time is spent on the protagonist’s incel behavior, which is certainly detestable, but not wacky enough to garner continual laughter.
Middle school art teacher Abigail (Gillian Jacobs) broke up with schlubby colleague Doug (Will Brill) right before summer break and Doug’s hoping that, with the new school year starting, he can win a second chance at her love. Yet just as the first day of class commences, he learns she’s been seeing their fit, handsome charismatic boss, school principal Will Brady (Rob Lowe). He internally rages over their loving glances from across the room and spies on their extracurricular dates on school grounds. Doug, a drama teacher and aspiring playwright, applies to dream fellowships in NYC as a way to work through his seething anger, but to no avail as the elite institution he applied to rejects him as well.
Feeling dejected, jealous and vindictive, Doug formulates a plan for ultimate revenge. The school is up for the prestigious honor of becoming a “Blue Ribbon” awardee, something Will admits he’s dreamt of for years. Rather than stage WEST SIDE STORY as the class musical as planned, Doug crafts his own material for the kids to perform – a play titled “The Heroes.” He creates a disharmonious atmosphere in rehearsals, pitting classmates Cindy (Chyler Emery Stern) and Lata (Melanie Herrera) against each other, in addition to teaching the kids lying is okay. He also treats Abigail immaturely. Her kind gestures making the sets are met with rudeness and scorn.
There’s never any question in our minds if Doug will pull off his elaborately staged, spiteful stunt. It’s predicted (by the audience) he will, so there’s never any tension mounting in the background about whether his ruse will either be found out and stopped, or he’ll experience a change of heart. It would be absolutely disingenuous had his quest softened at any point, considering his incel-like reaction to a woman’s rejection set him off in the first place. He begins in a bad place and doesn’t experience any change in his arc. His situation fails to worsen, as the anti-hero in ELECTION’s did every time he attempted revenge on his adversary. Bonilla and Heller do throw in an obstacle (courtesy of what I call Chekov’s parking pass), so their surly creation’s journey would at least be disrupted. Still, we know that conflict is going to be temporary as a means to usher us into the raucous 3rd act.
Doug’s musical is first glimpsed through snippets before we inevitably see the performance in its entire glory – and it is pure, uncut insanity. I haven’t laughed at a Sundance-debuting film’s joke about this particular subject since THE BIG SICK. While the hilarity of kids performing inappropriate, adult material isn’t a new construct (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT did something similar with The Warden’s play, years prior), the filmmakers innovate the gag, taking it to ridiculously funny, over-the-top places. The ensemble of child actors nail the outlandish tonal specificity of Doug’s material. Nevada Jose, who plays Doug’s unwavering right hand man/ assistant director Mikey, is a welcomed semi-stoic, ponderous presence with his naturalistic, expressive performance.
Though the narrative has blights and there’s little to no thematic commentary included, there are highlights engineered for cinephiles to celebrate. The film contains a late-dropping title card 20 minutes in and there’s an exquisite split diopter shot deployed in the first act. Cinematographer Tu Do lights the proceedings with delicate craft and care, pulling inspirational homage from paranoia-infused pictures of the 70s. Composer Mateo Nossa’s pieces heighten atmospheric pull. As Doug’s fragile mental anguish intensifies, the complementary compositions take on a Bernard Herrmann-esque identity. Plus, the soundtrack includes a perfect needle-drop on Enigma’s “Return To Innocence.”
More dissonant dark comedy than effervescent cringe-com, THE MUSICAL could stand to not sand down the angles of its edgy humor.
Grade: C-
THE MUSICAL plays the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 26, 29, 30, and 31.
