Movie · 2020 · Romance, Comedy · 2h 11m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.4/10 (31.1K ratings)
Everyone deserves a chance to celebrate.
Overview
After the PTA of a conservative high school in Indiana bans same-sex couples from attending the annual prom, a gang of flamboyant Broadway stars try to boost their image by showing up to support two lesbian students.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.4/10
IMDb: 5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
Metacritic: 55
TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
Ryan Murphy
Production
Dramatic Forces, StoryKey Entertainment
Cast
Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Jo Ellen Pellman, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Kay Place, Logan Riley, Sofia Deler, Nico Greetham, Nathaniel J. Potvin, Frank DiLella, Chet Dixon, Sam Pillow, Spencer Tomich, Portia Bartley
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, high-energy Broadway-style comedy with a sincere pro-LGBTQ premise, but the execution is widely regarded as tonally messy, overlong, and too often undermined by broad, self-congratulatory humor. It may still appeal to viewers who want a starry, campy musical and can tolerate uneven writing.
Best for
fans of big, polished movie musicals
viewers who enjoy camp and celebrity-heavy ensemble comedy
audiences looking for an earnest but lightweight LGBTQ-themed crowd-pleaser
Skip if
you want authentic, emotionally grounded queer storytelling
you are sensitive to broad or miscast comedy
you prefer tightly written musicals with consistent tone
Overview
The Prom is the kind of movie that arrives with good intentions, loud costumes, and a lot of glitter, then struggles to turn those ingredients into something genuinely moving. Its central premise has real appeal: a small-town queer coming-of-age story wrapped in Broadway razzle-dazzle. But the film keeps tripping over its own need to be both heartfelt and self-parodying, and the result is often more exhausting than exhilarating.
Worth noting
The cast is stacked, and the production is undeniably polished, but the movie’s biggest problem is that it rarely trusts its own emotional core. Scenes that should land with warmth or catharsis are undercut by broad comic detours, while the satire of showbiz narcissism never feels sharp enough to justify the runtime. For viewers who enjoy camp excess, there is a certain chaotic pleasure in it.
Bottom line
As a feel-good musical, it’s uneven; as a queer story, it’s too surface-level to feel fully earned. It has moments of charm and a few genuine sparks, but they’re buried inside a film that feels more assembled than alive.
Top Letterboxd reviews
le petit prince (1★) · 5623 likes
this feels so gay and homophobic at the same time
Chris Feil (1.5★) · 2898 likes
James Corden GUILLOTINE
Muriel · 1867 likes
ryan murphy your days are numbered
julia 🐛 (3★) · 1319 likes
The only reason James Corden is in this is because Darren Criss won’t play gay characters anymore
SilentDawn (2★) · 1308 likes
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Meryl Streep eye-fucks Keegan-Michael Key in an Applebee's.