Film

The Prom

Name: The Prom
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Released: 2020
Cast: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key

Comedy
Light-hearted

A musical comedy about Broadway performers who descend on a conservative Indiana town to fight a prom ban on same-sex couples. It's fizzy and theatrical, unapologetically earnest about inclusion, and stuffed with genuine song-and-dance numbers. Made for people who love musicals, broad comedy, and stories where the theatre kids save the day.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy big, brassy musical comedy where vanity meets sincere kindness, and you don't mind a community of self-absorbed performers slowly learning to care about something bigger than their reviews.

Skip it if you find sung-through showiness and broad, camp exaggeration tiring, or you want a sharp, grounded satire; the film leans hard into sentiment and its jokes are often big and obvious.

What it asks of you: Nearly two hours of song, costume and crowd-pleasing energy, with the mood swinging between goofy and earnest, so you need to be happy to let it be loud and sincere for long stretches.

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

If you liked this

Hairspray2007

Same DNA: a big-hearted musical comedy about outsiders fighting entrenched bigotry in a specific American place. John Waters' story has teeth, and the ensemble cast (including James Corden) makes every number sing.

But It's loud and relentless in its cheerfulness. If you're after subtlety or restraint, this will exhaust you.

Kinky Boots2005

Another Cyndi Lauper musical about acceptance and self-expression. It's funny, genuinely moving when it needs to be, and doesn't waste time on people who won't listen—it just makes the case and moves on.

But The humour is sometimes broad to the point of feeling dated. The emotional stakes can feel slight.

tick, tick... BOOM!2021

A musical about an artist trying to make his mark. It has that same theatrical energy and belief that art matters. Andrew Garfield is magnetic, and the songs about ambition and legacy actually hit.

But It's more introspective than The Prom. If you're looking for that outsized comedy energy, this gets quieter and sadder.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Prom

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Spotlight2015

Both are about challenging established power structures through visibility and persistence, but one does it with tap shoes and one with a typewriter.

A completely different film, but it shares The Prom's conviction that institutions can be wrong and that ordinary people can demand change. Where The Prom uses comedy and song, this uses journalism and determination. Both believe systems can be moved.

But It's a serious drama about institutional abuse. There are no laughs, no songs, no Broadway glamour—only painstaking investigation and real harm.

Mamma Mia!2008

Pure joy in musical form. A film that doesn't apologize for being fun, is stuffed with familiar songs, and has a cast having the time of their lives. Zero pretension.

But The plot barely exists and the singing is enthusiastic rather than skilled. Some find that charming; others find it grating.

Legally Blonde2001

A bright comedy about not fitting the mould and proving people wrong. It's smarter than it looks, genuinely funny, and has real heart underneath the pink.

But The comedy is built on surface-level jokes. If you're looking for complexity, you won't find it here.

The Boys in the Band2020

A musical revival that celebrates queer joy and community. Eight men, one birthday party, a lot of wit and tenderness. It feels like a conversation with friends.

But It's more interested in character moments than plot momentum. Some songs stop the flow rather than propel it.

In & Out1997

A comedy about a closeted high school teacher outed by an Oscar winner. It's light, silly, and surprisingly warm about small-town America and acceptance.

But The humour hasn't aged perfectly. Some jokes feel creaky, and the tone is very 90s.

Cry-Baby1990

John Waters' tamer side: a musical comedy about a 1950s bad boy and a good girl. It's affectionate, campy, and has Johnny Depp doing his best rebel impression.

But It's deliberately silly and slight. Waters fans might find it too soft; others might find it pointless.

Pose2018

Both celebrate queer resistance and joy, but Pose was there when the stakes were actually life-and-death. It's The Prom's shadow self.

A series about ballroom culture, queer chosen family, and survival in 1980s New York. It's joyful and hard, funny and tragic in the same breath. The dance sequences alone justify it.

But The subject matter includes AIDS, poverty, and violence. It's not a safe space—it's a true one. Some episodes sit heavy with you.

Singin' in the Rain1952

Both are love letters to theatre and performance as a form of freedom. But this one is the ancestor—the film that proved a musical could be about nothing but the joy of motion and song.

The template for what The Prom is trying to do: a film that believes in the pure pleasure of performance, dancing, and collective joy. Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor make it look effortless. It's why people love musicals at all.

But It's seventy years old and shows it. If you're not already predisposed to care about 1950s Hollywood backstage politics, you'll find stretches slow.