CinemaBlind’s Review – 70%

Rudy Mancuso brings his unique style of music to a coming-of-age romantic comedy in Prime Video’s Música. Mancuso has done something wonderful in his directorial debut but it is not perfect. Following all the cliched beats of any rom-coms, Música distinguishes itself from other rom-coms because of its style of storytelling but it falls short when it comes to the real romance of it all.

Based on his own experiences, Mancuso co-wrote the film with Dan Lagana and it follows the story of a young man suffering from synesthesia, which turns all the sounds around him into music. With an uncertain future, an overbearing mother, and an interest in puppetry, Rudy gets stuck in a love triangle with his long-time girlfriend, who doesn’t understand him, and a girl he recently met, who supports his dreams.

Música has a very unique voice when it comes to visual and audio storytelling and that’s what makes this film really interesting and good, to be honest, but the story and characters in the film certainly need more work as they don’t feel as fleshed as they should be. But that’s not the problem with Rudy’s character as he conveys the emotional and psychological turmoil of his life perfectly, making himself relatable to the audience.

All of the performances in Música including Mancuso as himself, Camila Mendes as Isabella, Francesca Reale as Haley, and J.B. Smoove as Anwar, but the clear standout in the film is Mancuso’s real-life mother Maria Mancuso, who plays the role of an overbearing but loving mother perfectly. The music and sound design are also amazing, but that’s a given with Mancuso at the helm.

In conclusion, Música is an entertaining and unique attempt at the rom-com genre and while it follows familiar beats it feels like something new and genuine. Some moments will make you frustrated with the film but all of the characters are charming enough to help you get over that. Oh, and also look out for Diego (the puppet), who might be the film’s best part.