Film

Spice World

Name: Spice World
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Drama, Comedy, Music
Released: 1997
Cast: Mel B, Emma Bunton, Melanie C, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Victoria Beckham

Comedy
Light-hearted

A bubblegum fever dream dressed as a film. Five enormous pop stars play themselves zipping around London on a tour bus, meeting eccentric characters and performing. It's cheerful chaos held together by pure megastar wattage and an utter refusal to take anything seriously. For anyone who loves pop culture, the 90s, or unironic fun.

TMDb rating

2.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you have a soft spot for chaotic, candy-coloured 90s pop-culture romps where the jokes are silly, the songs are bouncy, and the film is happy to be ridiculous on purpose.

Skip it if you want a tight plot or sharp, grown-up wit; the story is loose and episodic, the humour is broad, and the whole thing can feel like a long music video between sketches.

What it asks of you: Ninety-odd minutes of nonstop, flat-out energy with little rest, so it asks you to go with its sugary, slapstick flow rather than follow a careful storyline.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Mamma Mia!2008

Pure joy in movie form: a beloved pop catalogue, charismatic performers, and permission to embrace the silliness entirely. It knows exactly what it is and commits with infectious enthusiasm.

But If you find singing and dancing in films exhausting rather than exhilarating, or if you need plot to move beyond 'let's have a party here,' this won't convert you.

Hairspray2007

Another ensemble film that balances genuine heart with camp spectacle. It's got politics, family, a killer soundtrack, and actors clearly having the time of their lives.

But Begins to sag in the second act, and the earnestness about acceptance can feel saccharine if you're not in the right mood for it.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert1994

A road movie with three unforgettable characters, extraordinary visuals, and a serious emotional core buried under the sequins and lip sync. Funny without winking at the audience.

But Deals with loss and homophobia directly; it's not all celebration. The pacing slows considerably in the final act.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Spice World

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Phantom of the Opera2004

Both films mount elaborate theatrical productions with huge budgets to celebrate their central acts performing. Both are confident enough to spend enormous money on glamorous nonsense in service of the spectacle rather than a complex narrative.

Lloyd Webber's theatrical excess gets the full blockbuster treatment: lavish sets, a proper plot that moves, and genuine emotional devastation under the spectacle. It proves big, earnest, musical theatre can work on film.

But Two and a half hours; the pacing drags in the middle, and if you find the melodrama overwrought rather than compelling, you're done.

Bend It Like Beckham2002

Ensemble charm, terrific cast chemistry, a proper plot with stakes, and it's genuinely funny. Manages to be lightweight and touching without becoming cloying.

But The climax feels slightly rushed, and some of the cultural conflict resolutions are smoother than realistic.

Clueless1995

Witty, fashionable, endlessly quotable, and stuffed with jokes that work on multiple levels. The 90s time capsule alone is worth it, but the writing holds up regardless.

But The whole 'romantic' subplot is uncomfortable by modern standards, and the film seems unaware of how awkward it plays now.

10 Things I Hate About You1999

Teen Shakespeare adaption that somehow works: genuinely sharp dialogue, chemistry between leads, and it respects its audience's intelligence while remaining totally fun.

But Teenage-movie conventions can feel dated, and the resolution involves a not-great gender dynamic if you're paying close attention.

Legally Blonde2001

A film about a woman that doesn't require her to stop being feminine to be taken seriously. Reese Witherspoon is phenomenal, and it's far smarter than its surface suggests.

But The broad comic energy doesn't land for everyone, and some jokes lean a bit too hard on stereotype before subverting it.

Bridget Jones's Diary2001

Romantic comedy with genuine laugh-out-loud moments, a brilliant central performance, and enough self-awareness to keep the sentiment from curdling into schmaltz.

But The romance plot follows a pretty predictable route, and the film occasionally uses female insecurity as a punchline in ways that feel cheap.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie2016

A cult comedy finally given the budget it deserves. If you love the show it's glorious; even if you don't, the cast and set decoration alone are a masterclass in commitment to the bit.

But The humour is entirely dependent on knowing the show's tone and characters. Without that foundation, it's just expensive set dressing and in-jokes.

Singin' in the Rain1952

Both films are fundamentally about the machinery of stardom and celebrity being absurd, ridiculous, and glorious. Both make you feel the sheer infectious fun of being alive and famous and surrounded by friends making art together.

The template for every joyful musical ever made. A genuine plot with real stakes, three-minute sequences of pure dancing genius, and a fundamental belief that cinema is a playground for joy.

But It's from 1952, which means the gender dynamics are what they are, and the narrative solves itself through traditional romance rather than character agency.