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West Side Story

West Side Story

2021
Musical
2h 36m
An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. (imdb)
Your probable score
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West Side Story

2021
Musical
2h 36m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 51.31% from 677 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(677)
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Rated 09 Mar 2022
65
42nd
lmao here come the Jets everyone hide your tap shoes. Kaminski is hell bent on making everything look like its lit by an angel - Spielberg just try someone new , listen to me a big fat idiot on letterboxd. He has been dog shit"ish" since Indy 4!
Rated 22 Dec 2021
77
71st
While I found it hard to connect to emotionally for most of the running time, it's a hell of a ride. "Tonight" always sounds like a news bulletin theme to me and a lot the songs just don't move me. Mambo and Officer Krupke are bangers though. Everyone involved seems to have worked their asses off and that's enough for me.
Rated 29 Dec 2021
4
51st
Spielberg doing what he does best which is invoking the likes of Hawks and of course Ford. Doesn’t quite have the liveliness of a great musical but the stuff outside of the choreographed numbers is great. Never/still don’t really bought Ansel Elgort as a leading man and if I’m being honest when it’s hit around the 2 hour mark it starts to wear out it’s welcome.
Rated 10 Mar 2022
68
32nd
The showmanship can’t be faulted, and Spielberg and his collaborators have put on a helluva show… if you are susceptible to it. If you find the music (and turgid melodrama) off-putting, this version will not change your mind. Contrary to Wise's film, the overly polished and precise first half has a life and freshness (especially whenever a charming Zegler is centre stage), with the more emotionally resonant second half flat and half-hearted, as if the air had gone out of the enterprise.
Rated 11 Mar 2022
64
16th
An absolute visual masterpiece, with incredible cinematography, lighting, colours, and choreography, that makes great use of Spielberg’s oners. But as a musical, it’s exactly the kind of thing I don’t vibe with - how am I supposed to believe these guys are the scourge of the community when they’re just prancing around and shit? - while the central romance is brought way down by having charisma void and potential rapist Ansel Elgort at the centre. ‘America’ sequence by far the highlight.
Rated 22 Mar 2022
50
45th
Nothing screams, tough street thugs like dancing and sashaying! The story is just as bad as the original. How can someone fall in love in a day? Fuck this Romeo & Juliet nonsense. And to top it all off, he kills her brother and she sleeps with him....after spending MAYBE 2 hours of her life with him. Was this fucking movie written by aliens, because non of these actions are realistic. My rating is based on the 50's aesthetic and Spielberg's direction. Debose getting an Oscar nom is a woke joke
Rated 28 Mar 2022
96
90th
Now THIS is how you do West Side Story. It’s certainly the more appropriate version of the two theatrical movies, but I think it’s a better movie in some regards. The extra time spent with Tony and Maria was necessary and I enjoyed this casting way more in every way imaginable. I like that Spielberg not only took a bit more of a grounded approach here, but that he also legitimately directed it really well. Beautifully shot and photographed and I adored DeBose and Zegler. THIS is cinema.
Rated 29 May 2022
40
26th
Everyone works hard but to no avail: there is a constant display of cleverness in this Krupkified (as Richard Brody puts it in a just review) version, but all of the sociology, all the updating and all the carefully worked-out camera movements are for naught. Some of the choreography is very good but none of it is really memorable and it lacks the powerful simplicity of the original. Whatever flaws the earlier effort supposedly had, the casting and dialogue were both far superior in 1961. A dud.
Rated 28 Feb 2022
80
79th
From the top, this feels like an authentic piece of 60s cinema rendered into clear HD - John Mulaney’s son Riff a genuine punk article, the image editing and design superbly believable - but Elgort sticks out like a tall modern thumb with a good voice. (I know this is a remake but) The melodrama of the instant romance feels ridiculous surrounded by issues of genuine weight and could easily have been diminished, cutting down the too-long runtime as a bonus. Loved the dance sequences.
Rated 01 Mar 2022
59
17th
Spielberg retains his eye for the cinematic, but my enthusiasm in his project choices have been divergent for the last 2 decades. Never motivated to watch the original, this update confirms my disinterest in 1950's Americana. Bernstein & Sondheim wrote catchy songs; it's just a chore to experience them in this musical. Zegler & Elgort are talented but lack chemistry. The Jets & the Sharks are instantly grating with an unappealing mix of bravado & accents. Romeo & Juliet has better adaptations.
Rated 13 Mar 2022
5
57th
Steve can certainly frame a shot and stage a sequence, and no one will deny that ‘America’ is an earworm to burrow its way in for days. But something about everything feels stagey and artificial, even for a musical. All the major death scenes kinda hit with a dull “huh, ok, that happened” lack of impact. Rachel Zegler’s way of communicating love by looking up at Ansel Elgort with the wide, earnest, upturned eyes of a chick who’s mid-blowjob in a porno quickly becomes cringe.
Rated 17 Mar 2022
58
11th
I can appreciate that this is a very accomplished production with elaborate choreography and many songs that became classics. But unfortunately most of the music is not really my style, the ballet sequences did nothing for me, and the plot and characters don't really offer much depth, so the movie's two and a half hour running time felt almost interminable.
Rated 27 Mar 2022
70
53rd
Intellectually, I’ve always appreciated how low-key aggro it is to have an anti-violence vehicle express violence in high kicks and murderous finger snapping. But emotionally, thematically, I’ve never cared for the hook (“Call Me Maybe”. And. Now I’m dead). There was a time “Spielberg” and “Musical” put together would’ve had me vaulting pirouettes to the nearest cinema - but something about this remake made me less than enthusiastic, which is unfortunately still true after seeing it.
Rated 01 Apr 2022
60
18th
The highly polished showy cinematography seems to clash with the 'classic musical' content. It keeps pulling the viewer out of any tenuous, paper-thin suspension of disbelief that might be there. It just makes the whole thing a little tiresome.
Rated 02 Sep 2022
32
4th
Criticker way off on this one -- I couldn't stand this movie, and have no idea why anyone thought a remake was necessary. I cringed all the way through
Rated 13 Dec 2021
85
59th
Viewed December 11, 2021. Opening with an astonishing tracking shot through Lincoln Center's construction site, Spielberg foregrounds the way the action takes place within a real living and breathing city; unlike in a Broadway show or the stagebound Wise/Robbins version (admittedly, not a film I liked much when I watched it ten years ago), the snapping-and-twirling version of gang warfare doesn't seem as corny or labored because the world around it is so authentic.
Rated 13 Dec 2021
65
36th
Gangster conflict goes over-violent with racial resentment emphasised, ruining the aesthetics of both the dance and the costumes, and the Romeo-Juliet tragedy regresses into syrupy love-at-first-sight crap without the romantic will to resolve resentment. I was stunned to find Spielberg removed the key ending line exposing the shame of resentment and delivered through Maria: seems like he totally missed the core of this Shakespeare classic. Luckily he wasn't allowed to change any singing in WSS.
Rated 01 Jan 2022
60
30th
Sorry Spielberg folks I just don’t get it. This one has a couple shots where you’re like wow this is like if John Ford was still alive(the opening tracking shot, the scene in the kitchen with the colourful sheets, the puddle scene) but the rest is just so limp and such a bore. The musical cues don’t exactly work as much as they did in the original because of the way Spielberg does these longer takes. I did bet on it to win best picture a while ago at a big number so praying for that
Rated 05 Jan 2022
70
58th
Spielberg ate
Rated 06 Mar 2022
63
54th
Some impressive moments, and it is an admirable technical achievement, but it is also a little cold and distant, which is typical of late Spielberg. The problem is that the doomed young couple, who are meant to provide the emotional anchor, lack charisma and strong chemistry. Perceptions of quality or lack thereof seem to depend largely on how viewers respond to them. This viewer was only partially convinced, so the emotional involvement was somewhat weak, but the film is better than expected.
Rated 07 Mar 2022
80
75th
I used to think I didn't like musicals, but then I watched a buncha good ones, and now I don't trust people who say they don't like musicals. As in, I don't trust them with my life. This was a great way to spend 160 minutes, and honestly, could have spent another 60 minutes with this. However, I don't like how it rips off one of Shakespeare's greatest works -- King Lear.
Rated 07 Mar 2022
70
76th
Leaps and bounds ahead of the original "remake" in production value. The biggest knock against this film is that it's the latest in a line of unnecessary remakes. The '50s gentrification/urban renewal racial conflict doesn't seem as timely. Ansel Elgort doesn't elevate a boring character, but Rachel Zegler is a bright newcomer. As with the 1961 film, Anita steals the show with Ariana DeBose's looks, personality, and outfits. Fav scene: America as a daytime ensemble *works*.
Rated 07 Mar 2022
35
26th
I like Gee, Officer Krupke and America, but other than those I pretty much hate West Side Story. The actions of the characters make little sense and only exists to force the weak melodrama. This version didn’t change that, and both the melodrama and the ballads were horrible.
Rated 10 Mar 2022
95
84th
I never made it through the original, though I may try again. Something about gang member breaking into song and dance didn't quite gel for me. However, this lavish version by Steven Spielberg really delivered. It looks and sounds beautiful. I'm not a big movie musical person, so this is high praise. :)
Rated 13 Mar 2022
83
77th
I'll say one thing for this film: it justified its existence when I didn't think it would be able to. Some of the work Spielberg does behind the camera here deserves to be discussed right alongside his best. There's a great sense of placement in the world of the film that few others can nail. The ensemble does solid work as well, especially Ariana DeBose. Most of my issues with this film have to do with the limitations its source material, both the musical itself and Romeo and Juliet.
Rated 21 Mar 2022
55
39th
Zegler is cute, but I'm not a fan of Elgort, and I'm sorry, but the songs really aren't very good, are they? The choreography is pretty great, though, but it doesn't quite compare to the elaborate dance numbers in 'In the Heights'. It's been a while since I saw the original but I think that I slightly prefer Spielberg's version because of the quality of his craft.
Rated 13 May 2022
70
67th
Craft is unsurprisingly top notch, and once you get used to the somewhat stalk contrast between the sort-of realistic aesthetics of the world and its all singing, all jazz-balleting inhabitants (which for me was about halfway in) it's a fine updated Romeo & Juliette.
Rated 21 May 2022
95
78th
One of my favorite Broadway musicals finally gets a film version that does it justice! Apart from "Incel" Elgort being there, the casting is perfect. Luckily, the show does not live and die on the shoulders of who plays Tony.
Rated 09 Dec 2023
6
35th
It’s official, I just don’t care about West Side Story. I understand that song and dance is an integral part of the musical genre, but when the blatantly choreographed numbers aren’t counterbalanced by some sort of down to earth and natural moments (cf. La La Land), the whole show becomes a chore to sit through. Not to mention, the story of battling gang members will forever be lame and stupid.
Rated 10 Dec 2021
86
92nd
The music side of things is everything I could have hoped and anything else is just gravy. But what gravy it is! The musical sequences are such a blast, and Spielberg and Kushner find fresh and interesting new ideas for those and the book portions. I have some little quibbles, and I don't think this surpasses the 1961 original, but it doesn't need to. I'm content with it being a giddy re-interpretation of a timeless classic with some of the best music ever penned for the stage or screen.
Rated 10 Dec 2021
84
96th
If West Side Story were a human being, I would have married her, because she's just soooooo darn beautiful.
Rated 10 Dec 2021
50
42nd
Okay, the remake definitely adds a third dimension to many of the characters and they don't feel cartoony any more, but, and that's a huge but, I could never relate to the character motivations in the third act in the original WSS, and unfortunately, this remake does not solve that problem for me.
Rated 12 Dec 2021
94
90th
Who would have guessed that one of the greatest directors ever would direct a better musical than the guy who made Jem and the Holograms? (Disclaimer: I loved In the Heights too.)
Rated 12 Dec 2021
80
89th
I have very vague memories of the original. We were surprised how many songs we recognized but didn't know they were "West Side Story" songs! The production values are immense, no cheap studio sets to be found. I often find musicals feel very artificial, but here the acting weaved into the musical numbers seamlessly. I thought "In the Heights" was awful, but next to this, it's an absolute steaming pile.
Rated 13 Dec 2021
78
85th
I feel like every production of "West side story" lives or dies by how good its versions of "Gee, Officer Krupke", "America" and the "Tonight" quintet are. The versions in this movie aren't the best... But ain't half bad either.
Rated 16 Dec 2021
100
96th
Spielberg walks a thin line between realism and abstraction here and succeeds in a way that most directors of modern film musicals utterly fail. This feels like a stage musical of the 50's/60's staged in real settings, and he has quite miraculously not compromised the stagey aura of this musical in the process. It's a glorious film that sweeps along to the tempo of it's wonderful score. I was entranced by it.
Rated 18 Dec 2021
45
23rd
It's fine. If you haven't seen West Side Story or don't know the plot/music, this is a decent introduction. But I was expecting more, and far preferred this year's In the Heights or Dear Evan Hansen to this.
Rated 19 Dec 2021
81
40th
Good cast, solid enough flick. I liked a lot of the musical numbers.
Rated 20 Dec 2021
65
67th
Every shot is bursting with music and motion and color. The songs are sprinkled with classics. Everything about the production is impeccably done. The execution is flawless; the misstep is of conception. The movie musical is a hothouse plant that needs a distance from reality in order to thrive.Trying to turn it into a gritty social drama about miscegenation and race hatred, setting it in a realistic cityscape, makes the characters seem thin and the story a flat platitude. Misguided.
Rated 22 Dec 2021
6
44th
Falls short of the original.
Rated 29 Dec 2021
3
40th
I'm not sure why they have bothered to do a re-make of this film, when they hardly wanted to make any changes from the original - which of course is a version of Romeo and Juliet, but staged as a musical and in Manhattan's west side (i.e. some originality). That said, my eye blinks a few extra times when Rita Morena appears in this version too. And they've done wonders with the film scenography which I hope they will win an Academy Award for. But this is not he best film of 2021.
Rated 29 Dec 2021
90
78th
It’s better than the original in that it wants to do more than let its characters sing in the streets for most musical numbers. It was hard to pinpoint the Why Now of this for the first 45 or so minutes. Why a remake of this now, Steve? Why a musical in your repertoire now? But as the film soars along, Kushner finds more chances to dig deeper and the songs get a chance to be effectively recontextualized. And Spielberg, in top form, directs a fantastic cast to perfection.
Rated 13 Jan 2022
80
49th
Extremely well-done remake/update to the classic, already-perfect film that brings nothing really new to the table. Spielberg and the writers update some of the more awkward (read: racist) comments of the original adaptation and fleshes out the Puerto Rican side of the equation here. All good things. The film bursts with color and movement. Great! The characters do their predecessors enough justice as well. The movie is still too reverent to the original to have really been necessary. PSI: 80
Rated 13 Feb 2022
68
44th
Very well shot with excellent group numbers, but the leading pair didn't work for me at all.
Rated 24 Feb 2022
100
99th
Exceptional, vibrant, emotional, fresh. This is definitely how to do a remake.
Rated 06 Mar 2022
65
34th
Impeccably directed and with gorgeous set designs and impressive choreography but didn’t grab me for a single moment.
Rated 08 Mar 2022
62
39th
This is a good adaptation in that it hits all the notes it's supposed to, and adds a fresh coat of paint in the form of some updates. The stand outs for me were Anita and the America number.
Rated 10 Mar 2022
69
61st
Steven Spielberg'ten umudu kesmeye başlamışken filmdeki muhteşem yönetmenliği; filmin müzikleri, hikâyesi ve oyunculuklarından çok kendisini filmin yıldızı yapıyor.
Rated 13 Mar 2022
74
64th
2022'de #IzlediğimFilmler ; 49. West Side Story (2021) #Oscars2022 adaylarından, müzikal sevmememe rağmen sonuna kadar beni bir şekilde taşıdı, 60 yıllık bir film izlermiş gibi hissettim kendimi. Prodüksiyon kalitesi göz kamaştırdı. Müzik ve danslar da.
Rated 15 Mar 2022
72
36th
That storyline with the couple without chemistry was unnecessary.
Rated 15 Mar 2022
79
75th
Brings the grit. Scripting this in 2021 is a tough ask, but it does a remarkably good job smoothing over most of the rough patches while finding new relevance in the story.
Rated 19 Mar 2022
60
52nd
Technically splendid. Film quality, color grading etc. Visually it felt like a TRUE live action rendition of an animated musical. But songs were monotonous and I wasn’t particularly enamored with any of the characters. (It boggles me as to how anyone would sleep with a person who has just hours prior killed your family member.) The ending was offbeat and lacked grandeur.
Rated 20 Mar 2022
75
46th
Here Spielberg is doing something fresh (never mind that its a remake of a film based on a musical which itself is based on a play). For the first time in a while his directing feels vital. Visually this is really enjoyable, with stellar choreography and cinematography. However given the current cultural climate a lot the story feels under developed and seems like a missed opportunity for modernization. There was also some serious miscasting. Worth watching but not as good as it could have been.
Rated 21 Mar 2022
59
20th
Thelastothecantmakeitcaucasianslol+leadermiscast-mostare+AEsavesit-romancetooagain+youkilledmybro!sobanglmao+theshopladywasnice
Rated 22 Mar 2022
70
62nd
The Jets, led by a young version of John Mulaney (Mike Faist) and the Sharks, led by Tony Award Winner David Alvarez (bet you didn't know he won a Tony!) rumble. Despite seeing almost every popular musical in the past, somehow this one slipped by me, so I didn't really know much about it, yet strangely knew half the songs. Stephen Spielberg did a good job making this on screen version while still somewhat feeling like a stage.
Rated 30 Mar 2022
88
82nd
While I can't say I've ever been the biggest fan of WEST SIDE STORY, I can definitely appreciate the direction taken by Spielberg and the assortment of hard work done by everyone involved. You can tell everyone was giving it their all here, and obviously 3 or 4 songs are iconic. They don't make movies like this anymore and you can FEEL the classic-ness of it all.
Rated 30 Mar 2022
62
32nd
Well-directed and choreographed, but completely unnecessary remake.
Rated 01 Apr 2022
0
3rd
I disliked the actors, their singing voices, the lyrics, the dance routines... The story itself wasn't that good either. I guess I had lived under a rock and didn't know about the original, but the story felt like a rehash of Romeo and Juliet. The only thing I found maybe redeeming in the movie, was the camera work, but that's about it.
Rated 06 Apr 2022
2
9th
Saccharine, manipulative, and one-dimensional. Not surprisingly, the actors have little authentic chemistry.
Rated 10 Apr 2022
70
29th
Fine but unnecessary.
Rated 12 Apr 2022
90
96th
Fantastic music, wonderful cast.
Rated 14 Apr 2022
75
69th
Interesting take on the adaptation that makes the camera such an integral part of the experience. At the same time, it all looks and feels so 2021 and you can feel the artificiality of the sets in every scene, so it's still got a distinctly theatrical flair to it. If nothing else, the reinterpretation of Anybodys is really beautiful and makes it all worthwhile.
Rated 15 Apr 2022
33
18th
Yeah, "unnecessary" pretty much sums it up.
Rated 26 Apr 2022
75
45th
Bravuro directing and cinematography aside, I was thoroughly whelmed by this. The movie plays with showing how terrifying the primary romance is but never goes all the way, leaving me thematically confused. It seems it hit a lot of buttons for a lot of people I respect, so I am inclined to believe I'm missing something. It doesn't help that I find Ansel Elgort incredibly hard to root for. Some dance sequences are out of this world. I especially enjoyed the knife fight and "America".
Rated 11 May 2022
57
66th
I am lukewarm to musicals in general. This is a technical marvel for sure, stunning on so many levels. But a stagnant storyline kept me at arm's length. It's better and more memorable than the original movie, but, selfishly, I wish Spielberg dedicated this level of production to an original concept instead. Maybe my expectations are out of whack at this point, but when I see the name "Spielberg", I am hoping for greatness.
Rated 16 May 2022
70
77th
Entertainment: 4. Spirit: 1 Sustainability: 1. Family: 1
Rated 22 May 2022
96
95th
This movie was gorgeous, and so well done. The cinematography and acting were especially the standout points of this movie. The songs were all well done, even if they aren't all as immediately memorable as some musicals. While this isn't something I will probably watch over and over again, I still thought it was really well made.
Rated 22 May 2022
61
44th
Strong Directing & Brilliant Filming!!!
Rated 26 Jun 2022
60
47th
Batı Yakası Hikayesi, Tarlabaşının New York'unda geçen 2 ayrı genç ırk çetesinin ortasında kalan 1 aşk hikayesi. Polonya ve Porto Riko çetelerinin olduğu, kentsel dönüşüme geçen New York'un varoş insanlarının yaşam tarzını gösteriyor. Fakat o kadar uzun ve 1 o kadar da hızlı ki. Bu kadar iyi 1 öykü, çok kötü 1 anlatım tarzına bırakılmış. Ansel Elgort facia ama Ariana DeBose'in etkileyici performansıyla da çekici. Filmin sonunda, Kurşun yemiş misali gönlüm. Yeterki onursuz olmasın aşk.
Rated 10 Jul 2022
59
73rd
Despite knowing almost every song, I’ve never previously seen the play or any adaptation. Well worth watching.
Rated 30 Aug 2022
50
3rd
Ehhh. It could have been more imaginative with choreography and music. Not all that enthralling when it is essentially the same story that was done better several hundred years prior.
Rated 10 Oct 2022
5
5th
Almost everything is worse than the original
Rated 08 Nov 2022
24
10th
I finished this after 20 hours... I'M FREEEE!
Rated 05 Dec 2022
50
11th
A cut above many modern attempts at big-budget musicals; everyone involved can actually sing and dance, with the exception of a slight, breathy but mercifully in-tune Elgort (comically dwarfed in duets by the tiny Zegler), and there's little of the uneasy directorial distance one might have feared toward the artificiality of the genre. Still, looking through impossible aerial camerawork at computer facsimiles of tenements lit with blinding lens flare, it's hard not to sense a kind of sterility.
Rated 14 Feb 2023
41
39th
watchable
Rated 04 Mar 2023
25
3rd
I thought I would enjoy it just because I have a soft spot for spectacular dancing/singing scenes, but the songs are terrible and were just really annoying to me (except "America"). The romantic plot might be the WORST EVER screenplay I have witnessed in all movies and series I have seen so far in my entire life. Can't understand why this wasn't improved at least a little bit for the updated version.
Rated 01 Mar 2024
80
75th
This reinterpretation of a classic tale is a mesmerizing blend of old-school charm and contemporary flair, bursting with Hollywood magic. Its vibrant dance numbers and melodious singing bring a fresh take to the timeless Romeo and Juliet story. The theatrical ambiance, outstanding lighting, and balanced audio make it not just a film but a triumph in the musical genre, captivating lovers of classic Hollywood cinema.

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