The Prom

Let’s be real — not every Broadway adaptation for the screen works. “The Prom” is a case that sits awkwardly in the middle. The story is simple: in a small Indiana town, a lesbian teenager named Emma just wants to bring her girlfriend to the school prom. When the PTA shuts down the event, a trio of washed-up Broadway actors smell an opportunity for positive PR, and descend upon the town to save the day. It’s as earnest as they come, and the plot is genuinely sweet, if a little cartoonish.

Visually, “The Prom” tries to match the glittery spectacle of the stage show. Ryan Murphy puts the whole candy-colored aesthetic on blast. Some shots look like you’ve been dropped into a sequence from “Glee” season two — all giddy tracking shots, rainbow spotlights, and matching costumes. I didn’t always love it. The cinematography is bright and energetic, but at times it’s so artificial-looking that it borders on parody. There’s a real disconnect between the sincerity of the story and the Instagram-filter sheen of the visuals.

The cast is both the best and worst part. Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden absolutely commit, dialing up the camp to about twelve. Streep is delightful when she gets to be ridiculous, and Kidman brings warmth to a thinly written role. Corden is divisive, and I’ll be frank — his performance lands with all the subtlety of a pie to the face. He’s supposed to be the emotional anchor but feels out of place, as if he wandered in from a different movie.

Jo Ellen Pellman, who plays Emma, is the real heart of the film. She brings this natural, soft-spoken vulnerability that cuts through the bombast. Every time she’s on screen, you remember there’s an actual person at the center of all this noise. Ariana DeBose (her closeted girlfriend) is equally magnetic, even if she gets much less to do than she deserves. Their scenes together are gentle, honest, and refreshingly unpolished compared to the rest of the movie.

Pacing is bumpy. The first 40 minutes are a madcap whirlwind of musical numbers and “funny” Broadway in-jokes — it feels like the film is screaming for attention, afraid you’ll turn it off if it isn’t constantly shouting at you. But then, once the plot gets real, it drops into a stretch that feels heavy-handed and melodramatic. It’s hard to switch gears from slapstick to social-justice earnestness, and “The Prom” isn’t deft enough to manage the tonal shifts gracefully.

Musically, it’s a mixed bag. Some numbers, like “Dance With You” and “Unruly Heart,” are genuinely moving, and the choreography is bright and bouncy. But most songs aren’t that memorable on their own. The lyrics trend toward the obvious, and a couple of the set pieces just feel cringey (looking at you, “Love Thy Neighbor”). There’s a little too much winking self-awareness, and it undercuts the emotional punch that these musicals can deliver at their best.

What did work for me was the climactic message. The movie genuinely believes in acceptance, inclusivity, and the power of showing up for people who need you. Even if everything’s painted in broad pastel strokes, there’s heart behind the spectacle. There are moments — mostly centered on Emma — where you see what this movie could have been, something honest and vulnerable wrapped inside all the pageantry.

All in all, “The Prom” is like eating a slice of rainbow cake: it looks incredible, it’s loaded with sugar, but you’ll probably forget about it soon after. It isn’t a disaster or a triumph, just a very loud, surprisingly uneven ride. If you love Broadway, camp, and Murphy’s particular brand of spectacle, you might have a good time. Otherwise, it’s probably a skip.