For far too long, comedy has been disrespected, even misunderstood. Since the advent of streaming services forced these companies to gobble up as many original comedy features as they could, the comedy film has been denigrated on the level of capitalized content. This is understandable on paper; Comedy, as a genre, is too often seen as light entertainment – something you would put on that would be generally harmless and easy to swallow. Yet those who love the genre realize that the best comedies can be just as bold, vibrant, daring and artistic as the most poignant drama.
This was proven once again with the premiere of Giselle Bonilla’s brilliant “The Musical” at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. The film is not a loose collection of star-filled, improvisation-filled pieces and ideas in the same way that the last two decades of comedy films inspired by Judd Apatow and Adam McKay were. Even though some comedy veterans lead the cast, the majority of actors are not only unknowns, but also preteens. The screenplay is by first-time screenwriter Alexander Heller. Bonilla herself, although an actress who has been working since the mid-2000s, also makes her directorial debut with this feature. As such, “The Musical” is a film whose comedy arises from well-drawn characters and a situation that slowly becomes unrecognizable. It has a killer premise that leads to hilarious and shocking scenes you won’t soon forget, and it’s my pick for the best new film of Sundance 2026.
The musical is like a crazy episode of Glee crossed with a De Palma thriller
If you’re already intrigued enough to check out “The Musical” whenever it can be properly released, I advise you not to read any further. But if you want to get a taste of what that entails, then here you go. “The Musical” concerns Doug Leibowitz (Will Brill), a failed playwright turned college theater professor. It’s the start of a new semester, and the previous spring he had an affair with beautiful art teacher Abigail (Gillian Jacobs) – a relationship that ended over summer break. Hoping to rekindle things, Doug is dismayed to learn that Abigail has already started dating the school’s principal, Brady (Rob Lowe). Thanks to this betrayal, as well as Principal Brady’s obnoxious desire to reward the school for his good health, Doug decides to abandon the planned performance of “West Side Story.” Instead, his class will secretly rehearse and perform a new original musical he wrote… which is about 9/11.
“The Musical” plays like a particularly insane episode of “Glee”, with Doug trying to mold his enthusiastic students into little versions of himself, instilling in them bitter and spiteful theories about the world and other people. Even though we don’t see the entire 9/11 musical at the end of the film, we see enough of it for the film to remember. the brilliant and little-known “Theater Camp” (pictured above). The stroke of genius that Bonilla and Heller add to all of this is that the film is presented not as a screwball comedy (which, rest assured, it is) but as a macabre psychological thriller. The screenplay contains a brooding voiceover narration à la Paul Schrader, Mateo Nossa’s music recalls the work of Bernard Herrmann, and Bonilla’s compositions and editing recall Vintage Brian De Palma.
Giselle Bonilla made a film that granted the wishes of everyone who wanted revenge
In order to keep it a surprise, I didn’t mention the various scenes mentioned above that are amazing in “The Musical”. (Suffice to say, yes, one of the kids plays Rudy Giuliani, and there is a dramatization of the attacks themselves.) What I will point out is that “The Musical” is more than just a twisted concept comedy. This is not a film in which we aim to laugh at a pathetic character who sinks into the deep end and takes his students with him. Instead, the film is an anthem to anyone who is filled with malice, holds grudges, and seeks to do something that isn’t violent or physically destructive.
Of course there is a kinship with something like “Breaking Bad” or “Better Call Saul” (pictured above) in the way that Doug is a sympathetic protagonist driven to do unsavory things. Yet Bonilla never lets things descend into real drama like those Vince Gilligan shows do. As such, “The Musical” feels like a wish-fulfillment film for anyone who has been abandoned by a lover, or works for a boss they hate, or wants to quit their job in the most theatrical way possible. Every actor is excellent in this film, especially the children, and Brill makes for a delightfully obsessive, neurotic, and nasty lead role. By appealing to much of our less reputable tendencies, Bonilla has crafted a comedy that is incredibly crowd-pleasing; watching this felt like a release valve was being triggered.
It is not yet known when and where “The Musical” will be released. Hopefully the film will be picked up by a distributor who will give it the chance to play in theaters across the country. Otherwise, we may have to take revenge on the streamers who are putting the brakes on comedy.
