"The Musical:" When Spite Becomes an Art Form

"Everyone always talks about the power of love, but nobody talks about the power of spite."

Have you ever done something you knew was wholeheartedly wrong, just for the sake of getting even? As much as we hate to admit it, we all have. But did your deed spiraled so far out of control that it ends up ruining the lives and reputations of those around you, including yourself? This is exactly the kind of story that dominated this year's Sundance Film Festival, being one of the hardest tickets to get in Park City. I'm of course talking about Giselle Bonilla's The Musical, a film that will leave you not only in stitches, but feeling a little better about your past spiteful misdeeds.

The Musical is the debut feature from director, Giselle Bonilla and writer, Alexander Heller. Originally starting out as a cycle film at the American Film Institute, never meant to be seen by the general public, Bonilla and company did the impossible and turned this class assignment into a feature that captured the frigid hearts of Sundance this winter. The film is lead by Will Brill who plays Doug, a frustrated playwright who pays the bills as a middle school teacher. When Doug discovers that his ex-girlfriend Abigail (Gillian Jacobs) has begun dating Principal Brady (Rob Lowe), Doug plans to sabotage his boss' chances at winning the Blue Ribbon Academic Excellence Award by putting on the most offensive and inappropriate school play possible. For the sake of spoilers, I will not reveal the theme of this elusive stage production, just know it's worse than you're expecting.

In the simplest of terms, The Musical is like if Rushmore, Friendship, and The Sack Lunch Bunch had a baby, both in terms of humor and overall tone. The heart and soul of this project comes from Will Brill's performance as Doug, under the brilliant direction of Bonilla. Doug, as a character is for all intents and purposes, a young artist's worst nightmare. Teaching at a dead end job, not being taken seriously, letting your talents rot away while everyone seems to be so far ahead of you. Unfortunately for many, he represents the future of those who were "full of potential" but never got their career off the ground. So in a lot of ways, his actions in the film are completely understandable. Who says there's nowhere to go but up at rock bottom? You could always dig lower and drag your enemies down with you.

The Musical is a perfect film for those who have been chewed up and spit out by the creative industries they dreamt of being in. We all have someone like Principal Brady we'd love to fuck over, but for the time being it's much more responsible to live vicariously through Doug.

Yes, this is a film about spite, but it is by no means a slog. The Musical might very well be one of the funniest films of the year due to the sheer absurdity that unfolds during the third act. The comedy is very specific, a mix of social commentary, ridiculousness, and just the right amount of pure shock. There were several moments throughout this film where I thought "there's no way they're gonna go there" but lo and behold, they did. I would recommend seeing The Musical with the biggest crowd of friends as possible for the comedy alone.

Audiences tend to shy away from films that star a lot of child actors because let's face it, there aren't many good ones. However, The Musical's specific attention to detail when it comes to the child performances made it feel professional as possible. Special props are in order for Nevada Jose and Melanie Herrara as well as Giselle Bonilla for what she was able to get out of them.

Cinematographer Tu Do, gives this film a visual language that places an impressive emphasis on wordless storytelling. A staggering amount of jokes in The Musical are told with no dialogue at all, just strategically placed shots. Like when Doug is glaring at his ex and his nemesis from behind a curtain and slowly backs up into the pitch black darkness like a comic book villain. Genius.

Beyond the technical prowess of this film, the real charisma comes from the overall feel that every cast and crew member really wanted to make this movie. There is a palpable sense of passion for storytelling that gives The Musical an inherent charm that's hard to ignore. Overall, it is an exceptional first feature from Giselle Bonilla and company and you can catch it in American theaters starting September 18th.