Music (2021)

Music (2021) is the kind of big-hearted movie that wears its feelings out loud, using pop-fueled musical bursts and bright, stylized imagery to turn everyday overwhelm into something expressive and oddly tender. At its center is an uneasy, evolving bond between a drifting older sister and a younger sister whose routines are a carefully built sanctuary—so the film’s emotional pull comes less from plot twists than from watching two people learn how to show up for each other. The vibe is earnest, colorful, and unabashedly sentimental, aiming for warmth and uplift more than realism, which some viewers find deeply comforting and others may find too heightened. If you’re open to a drama that communicates through music and mood as much as dialogue, it can be an entertaining, affectionate watch with a sincere belief in love, trust, and chosen family.

Music is clearly aiming for a loud, heartfelt story about unlikely family and learning to care for someone on their own terms, wrapped in big musical fantasy sequences. The problem is that its portrayal of autism has been widely condemned as inauthentic and harmful, from a neurotypical casting choice to stereotyped characterization and especially the inclusion of restraint scenes that many viewers found dangerous and triggering. Even if you’re open to messy, stylized melodrama, the film’s good intentions don’t outweigh how misguided and ableist it can feel, which makes it hard to relax into the emotion it’s trying to sell. If you’re looking for a respectful, grounded depiction of autism or you’re sensitive to controversial representation, this is one to skip, though fans of Sia’s music and bright, surreal visuals may still find isolated moments to appreciate.