‘The Musical’ is in theaters and coming to VOD

Category: Movies

The new film The Musical is a dark comedy about spite, jealousy, and revenge. 

Doug Leibowitz (Will Brill) is a middle school theater teacher, a hopeful playwright, and the former boyfriend of the art teacher (Gillian Jacobs). When he discovers she is now dating the Principal (Rob Lowe), his jealousy emerges with a vengeance.

The school is scheduled to put on West Side Story and they begin working on this classic play. However, Leibowitz gets another idea. Instead of West Side Story, he enlists the students to put on his own play, which is extremely inappropriate. Nevertheless, he tells the students that they must not succumb to the powers that be. And his deep conviction is contagious. They agree to use his dark play while keeping it a secret and rehearsing in private.

With the school being considered for the prestigious Blue Ribbon award, Principal Brady is excited about the play. He thinks it will be the deciding factor with the award committee. After all, who doesn’t love a good musical?

By setting up his romantic rival to take the heat when the surprise play is shown, Leibowitz will finally get some satisfaction for Brady’s taking Abigail’s affection away from him. But he doesn’t realize he lost her a long time ago and Brady is not to blame.

Director Giselle Bonilla states in the press notes, “The Musical is what happens when we succumb to spite-fueled revenge.”

Changing West Side Story to a war musical about 9/11 is the ultimate revenge. 

In many ways, this is similar to the 2003 film School of Rock when Jack Black secretly turned his music students into a rock band. He wanted to “stick it to the man,” as they said, which is similar to the philosophy Leibowitz is imparting on his students. He also teaches them other ideas which their parents would object to. The Jack Black movie was light-hearted and funny. The Musical is very dark with a few chuckles sprinkled in.

The Musical is now playing in theaters and will be available on demand beginning October 20, 2026. It is not rated, however it is not suitable for young viewers.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She is a long-standing member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.