Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
"Bad teacher" comedy has swearing, smoking, abuse of trust.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Musical
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE MUSICAL, soon after Principal Brady (Rob Lowe) announces that Cedarhurst Middle School is being considered for California's prestigious Blue Ribbon recognition, the school's theater teacher—an aspiring playwright named Doug (Will Brill)—learns that Brady is dating Doug's former girlfriend, art teacher Abigail (Gillian Jacobs). Jealous and bitter, Doug plots to exact vengeance through the only means he has at his disposal: the theater kids preparing to put on the school's annual play.
Is It Any Good?
Giselle Bonilla's feature directorial debut is an outrageous dark comedy that's likely to leave viewers both aghast and gasping for air from laughing so hard. The Musical is a film you have to see to believe—but after you do, you might not be sure whether it should ever have been released. Doug's nefarious internal monologue keeps the humor simmering with a steady supply of quiet, nervous laughs ... right up until the astonishing climax explodes into full-blown shock.
Doug is a walking red flag. Rumpled and schlubby, he's clearly the last person anyone wants to become. As his self-serving scheme unwinds, viewers are highly unlikely to root for him, which leaves them free to laugh guiltlessly at his inappropriate behavior. Frustrated by his inability to break into the entertainment business, Doug twists his unhappiness into poison pills of advice that he shares with the preteens in his class—e.g., "It's OK to lie if it's for the right reason" and "Sometimes you win, and sometimes you watch your enemies take what's yours." But it's his mantra that's parroted by the students—"the superpower of the theater is the element of surprise"—that's the most relevant. Viewers are on tenterhooks, waiting to find out: What really is the new musical they're mounting? The reveal is an absolute shocker that will elicit laughter from disbelief and just how "wrong" it is.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what the secret musical is about and why it's funny, if you think it is. Mark Twain once said that "Comedy is tragedy plus time." What does that mean, and how does it apply to The Musical?
What is Doug's "red flag" behavior as a teacher? What actions does he take that should warn the students that something isn't right? How does he abuse his authority and his students' trust?
Is Doug an antihero or a villain protagonist? What's the difference? Do you empathize with him? Do you root for him? What are examples of antihero or villain protagonists you've seen, and how does Doug compare?
Are drinking or smoking glamorized here? Why, or why not? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
Is there a message in this movie? If so, what do you think it is?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 18, 2026
- Cast : Will Brill , Rob Lowe , Gillian Jacobs , Nevada Jose
- Director : Giselle Bonilla
- Studio : Blue Harbor Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : School ( Middle School ) , Arts
- Run time : 83 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 28, 2026
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