This movie is the definition of an Indie darling. Beloved by both critics and movie boards across the internet, Sing Street was on many people’s lists of Best Movies of 2016 despite not having won any sort of major awards, or having seen any sort of wide release here in the United States. This, of course, begs the question; why is this relatively unknown movie so beloved amongst those few who saw it?
From the Writer and Director of ‘Once’ and ‘Begin Again’… ‘Sing Street’
Sing Street, directed by John Carney, is a fairly simple movie at first glance. Set in 1980’s Ireland, a boy from a troubled home is forced to switch schools due to financial troubles. He chafes under the catholic rules and regulations, as well as the unsavory student culture that the school has fostered, but all of that changes when he notices the girl that lives across the street. Without any way to outright win her hand, he does what any troubled teen would do: grab a guitar, grab some friends, and form a rock band.
She’s world class. Without her, you’re just a bunch of gay-looking kids down an alleyway.
The story, while technically derivative, still delivers something fresh and inspiring. One of the best parts of watching movies about people doing things that they are passionate about is vicariously catching that same enthusiasm. It’s the kind of movie that brings you back to being a high school kid, that time of self-exploration and experimentation while trying to catch the eye of that manic pixie dream girl who kept herself just out of reach. It’s a teen movie about teenage dreams and problems, and damn does it deliver.
