In my house, we actually despise musicals. Sorry, I know that’s a big revelation. That’s why when my kids forced me to watch this one, I was surprised by how amazing the storytelling was and how emotionally gripping Hugh Jackman’s performance was. Because I gave it a shot and it’s the first musical I have ever enjoyed, this one tops the list as a must-watch.

This one has been one of the more polarizing musicals in recent memory. The titular character, Emilia, is a cartel boss who wants to retire and transition into a woman. It’s half crime thriller, half musical. It’s surreal. It’s bold. And, you’re either going to love it or hate it.

A mind-bending short film with eerie compositions and hypnotic choreography. It’s a quick watch and worth checking out if you like experimental music. It’s also worth noting that it scored a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

More documentary than musical, but hear me out… imagine being the most celebrated artist of the year, being up for 11 Grammy’s, being tasked to compose an original symphony for Carnegie Hall, then BOOM… amid your most successful year, you’re partner is diagnosed with cancer! This is that story.

As a lover of Martial Arts, I found this one to be beautiful. Originally a music video, it was promoted on Netflix as a short film directed by Hiro Murai, one of the minds behind FX’s Atlanta. A dying relationship trying to resolve things with swords and fight sequences to ethereal R&B tracks. I’m actually gonna stop writing now and watch it again…

I played this one accidentally while trying to show my kids the 1996 film “Matilda.” While it wasn’t the one I was looking for, we ended up watching the entire musical. It has the same premise as the original film, just as quirky with hints of Annie.

No need to explain this one, since everyone is talking about it… but, if you haven’t seen it in theaters like everyone else, head over to Peacock and watch it.

If you want to stick with the theme of musicals, you can catch OPUS in select theaters, but be forewarned! It’s not getting great reviews.