Música Parent Guide

Rudy (Rudy Mancuso) hears music everywhere he goes, whether he wants to or not. No matter how hard he tries to focus, his brain can’t stop making rhythms out of everyday sounds. This is helpful when he’s making music, but not so great when he’s trying to pay attention in class or maintain a relationship. Fed up with his distractibility, his girlfriend of four years, Haley (Francesca Reale) breaks up with him, and Rudy finds himself unsure of his future. But when he meets Isabella (Camila Mendes), Rudy is inspired to find his own path - if he can keep his brain focused and his overbearing mother (Maria Mancuso) at bay.

I love a movie with creative vision. It feels like most big budget studio movies are designed by committees to be as safe as possible for mass audiences, which almost always stifles artistry. Say what you will about the effects of streaming services on the entertainment industry, having low to medium budget productions made for online platforms can give space for creatives to really explore what film can do, without the financial risks of a summer blockbuster. I think Música is a perfect example of this concept. It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s creative, whimsical, and pushes the boundaries of what the visual medium can accomplish to tell a story.

The best part of this production is the design and staging. Sections of the film are shot conventionally, but then scenes transform into pseudo-musical numbers, using techniques usually seen in theater to move between set pieces. Rudy’s musical brain controls the universe of the movie, and we can fully understand what it is he sees and hears all day. For those who dislike musicals, I will mention that the “musical numbers” are almost entirely instrumental, with a maximum of two lines of singing in a handful of the numbers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a non-singing musical number, but they work!

There are some minor story issues to contend with, but the overall writing, acting, and production combine to create a fantastical world that manages to be a non-derivative coming-of-age romance. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this film, though I can’t recommend it for all audiences due to some content concerns, mainly a high volume of swearing and drinking. For viewers who aren’t fazed by the above concerns, I think Música is an outstanding addition to the genre, and a huge success for first time director Rudy Mancuso.