Music (2021 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Sia |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Musical drama film |
Music is a 2021 American musical drama film that marks the directorial debut of singer-songwriter Sia. Co-written by Sia alongside Dallas Clayton, the movie features performances by Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., and Maddie Ziegler. The narrative centers on Zu, a recently sober drug dealer who assumes guardianship of her half-sister Music, a non-verbal teenager on the autism spectrum.
Development for the film commenced following Sia's announcement in 2015. Originally envisioned as a non-musical project, it transformed into a musical with an expanded budget and was shot during mid-2017. Concurrently with the film's release, Sia issued a studio album containing ten original tracks composed specifically for the production.
Music had its Australian premiere on January 14, 2021, through StudioCanal, followed by a limited IMAX release in the United States on February 10. It became available on-demand on February 12 via Vertical Entertainment. Despite a production budget of $16 million, the film earned merely $645,949 at the box office, classifying it as a commercial failure. Critical response was predominantly unfavorable, especially concerning its depiction of autism. Nonetheless, it garnered nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress (Hudson) at the 78th Golden Globe Awards. Conversely, it received four Golden Raspberry Award nominations, winning Worst Actress (Hudson), Worst Supporting Actress (Ziegler), and Worst Director (Sia).
Plot
Kazu "Zu" Gamble, recently sober from alcoholism, becomes the primary caretaker of her autistic half-sister Music following the passing of their grandmother Millie. Zu supports herself financially through drug dealing alongside her friend Rudy but faces monetary difficulties. When Music experiences distress over her hair, their neighbor Ebo—a boxing coach—steps in to soothe her and develops a rapport with Zu. Zu continues selling drugs to accumulate funds for relocating to Costa Rica.
Ebo confides that his former spouse left him for his brother; Zu agrees to accompany him to their wedding. Rudy enlists Zu to deliver HIV medication to a client, who is later revealed to be Ebo. During an outing, Music undergoes an allergic reaction requiring hospitalization; unable to afford medical care and having lost drugs intended for sale to a pop star, Zu relapses into drinking. This leads to an altercation involving police intervention. Meanwhile, Felix—a boy compelled into boxing by his father and who observes Music from nearby—dies accidentally during a violent incident with his father.
Subsequently, Ebo attends the wedding alone. Zu attempts to place Music in foster care but ultimately joins Ebo at the ceremony. They share a kiss and prepare to perform when Music unexpectedly begins singing herself. The story concludes with the three living happily together; Felix had arranged for Music to receive a support dog prior to his death.
Throughout the film, musical fantasy dance sequences represent Music’s internal experience.
Cast
- Kate Hudson as Kazu "Zu" Gamble
- Maddie Ziegler as Music Gamble
- Leslie Odom Jr. as Ebo Odom
- Héctor Elizondo as George
- Mary Kay Place as Millie
- Brandon Soo Hoo as Tanner
- Tig Notaro as Radgicals TV show host
- Alexandria Lee as Radgical
- Beto Calvillo as Felix Chang
- Celeste Den as Felix's mother
- Luoyong Wang as Felix's father
- Ben Schwartz as Rudy
- Juliette Lewis as Evelyn
- Kathy Najimy as Evelyn's mother
- Henry Rollins as Ebo's neighbor
- Parvesh Cheena as Electronics Store Manager
- Blair Williamson as Abel
- Braeden Marcott as Nassir
- Zander Ayeroff as Cleo
- Sia as Popstar Without Borders
Production
At the 2015 Venice Film Festival, Sia revealed her first venture as a film director, featuring Maddie Ziegler, who had been prominently showcased in Sia's co-directed music videos and live shows. Having directed the 2014 video for "Chandelier", Sia felt prepared to helm a full-length movie. The screenplay was developed in collaboration with children's author Dallas Clayton, inspired by a narrative Sia originally created in 2007. She likened the experience of directing to songwriting, emphasizing the importance of artistic vision over technical execution.
Initially conceived as a non-musical project, the film later transformed into a musical, which caused its budget to rise from $4 million to $16 million. Sia composed the soundtrack, while choreography was handled by her frequent partner Ryan Heffington. The film's working title was Sister, but it was ultimately renamed Music. The protagonist Zu was originally written as male, with Shia LaBeouf and then Jonah Hill considered for the role before Sia cast Kate Hudson after seeing her singing on Instagram, prompting a gender change for the character. Much of the casting process took place through social media platforms.
Filming spanned 40 days in mid-2017, during which Ziegler was 14 years old. Post-production extended over three years as Sia meticulously refined the film. She described editing as a demanding phase, struggling to find an editor capable of bringing her creative vision to life.
Soundtrack and album
For the Music soundtrack, Sia composed ten original songs performed by the film’s three primary actors: Hudson, Odom Jr., and Ziegler. Although a full cast soundtrack was planned for release through Atlantic Records, it ultimately was not issued.
Several tracks performed by Sia appear on her ninth studio album, Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture, which was released jointly by Monkey Puzzle and Atlantic Records alongside the film in February 2021. This album features songs both from and inspired by the movie and earned a nomination for the 2021 ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album.
The lead single, "Together", which plays during the film’s final scene, was released on May 20, 2020. A follow-up single, "Courage to Change", featured over the closing credits and came out on September 24, 2020. Kate Hudson delivered a rendition of "1+1" in an exclusive clip broadcast at the MTV Movie and TV Awards: Greatest of All Time in December 2020. Her version of "Music" was released alongside its corresponding film scene in January 2021. Leslie Odom Jr.’s "Beautiful Things Can Happen" premiered in February 2021, with the complete "1+1" musical sequence made available on YouTube simultaneously with Sia’s album launch.
Musical numbers
The following musical performances are credited in the closing credits of Music:
- "Oh Body" (performed by Maddie Ziegler)
- "Best Friend" (performed by Ziegler)
- "1+1" (performed by Kate Hudson)
- "Insecure" (performed by Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr.)
- "Music" (apartment duet; performed by Hudson and Odom Jr.)
- "Beautiful Things Can Happen" (performed by Odom Jr.)
- "Could I Love with No Fear" (performed by Hudson and Ziegler)
- "Easy" (performed by Hudson)
- "Music" (performed by Hudson)
- "Mountains" (performed by Hudson and Odom Jr.)
- "Music" (wedding trio; performed by Ziegler, Hudson and Odom Jr.)
- "Together" (performed by Sia)
- "Courage to Change" (closing credits song; performed by Sia)
Release
Originally planned for an October 2019 debut, Music experienced several postponements before finally reaching audiences. By mid-2020, the film was lined up for an IMAX release following Tenet, but this was delayed until early 2021. In October 2020, the production team enlisted HanWay Films to oversee worldwide sales, distribution, and promotional efforts. A teaser trailer was released in November 2020, with a U.S. trailer following in January 2021 through distributor Vertical Entertainment.
The Australian premiere took place on January 14, 2021, facilitated by StudioCanal. In the United States, the movie was shown in select IMAX theaters for a single night on February 10, 2021, before becoming available nationwide via premium video on demand on February 12. Additional international launches occurred throughout February 2021. Selected markets saw physical releases on DVD and Blu-ray during March 2021.
Box office
During its opening weekend in Australia, Music earned $286,000 and accumulated $446,000 by the end of its first full week.
Following its video on demand debut in the U.S., IndieWire reported minimal initial audience interest despite the $6.99 rental price.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Music holds a 7% approval score from 55 critics, with an average rating of 3.5 out of 10. The consensus describes it as "offensive in its portrayal of autism" and "deeply misguided." Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 23 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating generally unfavorable feedback.
Tom Breihan of Stereogum highlighted widespread critical rejection and noted controversy surrounding Maddie Ziegler’s casting. Jake Wilson from The Sydney Morning Herald unfavorably compared the film to Cats (2019), labeling the casting "obviously problematic." Critics such as James Croot (Stuff) and Stephen Russell (Time Out) criticized it as one-dimensional and poorly executed, with Russell awarding it two stars out of five. Charlotte O'Sullivan (Evening Standard) and Kevin Maher (The Times) pointed out issues with tone and narrative coherence, though Maher complimented the soundtrack.
Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post described the film as "offensive and unwatchable," while Teo Bugbee from The New York Times called it a "cringe-inducing drama" that trivializes disability. Lucy Rutherford (PerthNow) found the story "tone deaf," noting that musical segments failed to offer an authentic perspective. Tim Robey (The Daily Telegraph) rated it two out of five stars, calling it a "poorly conceived mess." Richard Lawson from Vanity Fair deemed the film "confused" and "misguided," criticizing choreography despite enjoying some songs. Screen Daily’s Tim Grierson labeled the project naïvely handled.
Slate’s Sara Luterman expressed unease over Ziegler’s depiction of disability, emphasizing that the film centers more on Zu than the title character. Several reviewers drew comparisons to Tropic Thunder’’’s contentious representation of disability. Luke Buckmaster (The Guardian) awarded two stars out of five, citing a lack of authenticity and tonal inconsistency. Clem Bastow (The Guardian) condemned stereotypical autism portrayals and raised concerns about safety regarding restraint scenes. Dalia Maeroff (The Pitt News) observed that flashing visuals rendered the film inaccessible to many autistic viewers. RogerEbert.com’s Matt Zoller Seitz found it insincere despite artistic ambitions.
Nonetheless, some critics offered praise: Andrew McMillen (The Australian) regarded it as a nuanced depiction of autism featuring a poignant performance by Ziegler. Mark Morellini (Star Observer) described it as "a delight to watch" with emotionally powerful acting. Rachael Mead (InDaily) lauded the musical sequences for their visual and auditory appeal. Shirley Halperin (Variety) called it an exceptional film full of heart. Alex Clement (HeyUGuys) commended its lively musical numbers and directorial skill. Tara Brady (The Irish Times) appreciated that the film acknowledges autistic individuals can be remarkable without extraordinary talents.
David Fear (Rolling Stone) admired Sia’s intentions but noted a significant gap between concept and realization, characterizing the style as a blend of Busby Berkeley and Daft Punk influences. Adam White (The Independent) summarized it as "undeniably well-meaning" yet "a complete failure."
Criticism from the autistic community
Before the film's debut, Sia was met with backlash for selecting neurotypical Maddie Ziegler to portray a character with autism in Music. In February 2021, she issued an apology on Twitter addressing the concerns raised by segments of the autistic community. Sia also committed to including a content warning in upcoming screenings and removing scenes depicting physical restraints, which had been criticized for their potential harm. The BBC reported that many considered her apology insufficient and delayed. Critics such as Helen Brown from The Independent cautioned that the depiction of restraint could contribute to normalizing harmful practices against autistic people. Actress Kate Hudson highlighted the controversy as a significant dialogue about authentic representation.
Sia mentioned that the Child Mind Institute had given Maddie Ziegler’s performance full endorsement prior to the film’s release. Nevertheless, advocacy groups like the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, and CommunicationFIRST strongly opposed the inclusion of restraint scenes and urged for the film’s withdrawal. By March 2021, a petition demanding the revocation of the film’s Golden Globe nominations had amassed over 140,000 signatures.
In contrast, Jill Escher, president of The National Council on Severe Autism, defended Sia by stating that objections regarding casting choices were unjustified and damaging to both artistic expression and the autism community. The council also shared correspondence from an autistic supporter expressing gratitude to Sia for depicting a character with severe autism.
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globe Awards | February 28, 2021 | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Music | Template:Nom |
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Kate Hudson | Template:Nom | ||
| Golden Raspberry Awards | April 24, 2021 | Worst Picture | Sia and Vincent Landay | Template:Nom |
| Worst Director | Sia | Template:Won | ||
| Worst Actress | Kate Hudson | Template:Won | ||
| Worst Supporting Actress | Maddie Ziegler | Template:Won |