3.5/5
The short answer is maybe.
I’ll explain. Watch out, spoilers ahead.
The biographical movie stars Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of British rock band Queen, and follows him from before he was a part of Queen to stardom, wrapping up after Queen’s Live Aid performance in 1985 at Wembley Stadium. It deals with many issues that plagued Mercury’s life, including his rollercoaster relationship with Mary Austin (played by Lucy Boynton), his struggle with drugs, and his sexuality.
The cinematography was done very well, and Malek’s performance (as well as Gwilym Lee as Brian May, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, and Joe Mazzello as John Deacon, the other three members of Queen) stands out among the other cast members. I found the interactions between the band and their manager particularly entertaining. Some of the best humor from the movie can be found in these moments.
The struggle that many biographies face is the balance between telling a real story and making it an enjoyable movie to watch. Bohemian Rhapsody seemed to lean precariously onto both sides of this spectrum at different points in the movie. The somewhat hostile separation of the band only to suddenly come together to perform at Live Aid is not exactly historically accurate, though it follows a cookie-cutter plot. However, I felt like Rhapsody spent a long time in the “low” point of the movie, which consisted of Mercury becoming addicted to drugs, losing many of his relationships and becoming stuck in an unhealthy one, eventually culminating in a diagnosis of A.I.D.S. While these things were undoubtedly important to address and show in the movie, the movie seemed to become distracted from its message and lose track of where it was going. This confusion was most likely the result of a director switch part way through filming and several other difficulties in production.
Despite this, I did enjoy this movie. The musical moments were highlights of the film, especially the creation of “We Will Rock You”, “Another One Bites The Dust”, and of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody” itself. To me, the film did not shy away from addressing Mercury’s race or bisexuality, which was refreshing and important. It will be a nostalgia hit for your parents, and it probably will be for you too, even if you were not even alive when Queen was at its height. This movie will get you tapping your foot, laughing, and crying (or coming close to tears, if you’re my dad). Bohemian Rhapsody may get lost a few times along the way, but at its core this movie is enjoyable, plain and simple. It’s spirited and cinematic, and it’ll probably get “Don’t Stop Me Now” stuck in your head immediately after the credits roll, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
You can still see Bohemian Rhapsody at any movie theatres around New Hampshire! Check out showtimes here.
