13: The Musical

PG

2022

1 hr. 34 min.

Kids & Family

Musical

Comedy

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List

58%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

36%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Following his parents' divorce, 12-year-old Evan Goldman (Eli Golden) uproots from New York City with his mother Jessica (Debra Messing). With his Bar Mitzvah fast approaching, Evan is devastated that he must leave all his friends, his father (Peter Hermann) and his rabbi (Josh Peck) behind. But upon arriving at his grandmother's (Rhea Perlman) house in small-town Walkerton, Indiana, he hatches a plan to win new friends by turning his Bar Mitzvah into the coolest party ever. As an outsider navigating the complicated social circles of his new school, Evan quickly finds out he's not the only one grappling with the all too familiar anxieties of eighth grade. While his new friends Patrice (Gabriella Uhl) and Archie (Jonathan Lengel) fret over the fate of the planet and unrequited love, respectively, popular cheerleader Lucy (Frankie McNellis) desperately plots to stave off a first kiss between her crush Brett (JD McCrary) and best friend Kendra (Lindsey Blackwell). To make matters worse, Evan invites the popular kids to his party--who aren't fans of Patrice. With these competing interests in play, Evan faces the impossible task of bringing everyone happily together in time for his party, or else risk social ruin. Suddenly, turning 13 isn't looking as good as it's cracked up to be. Directed by Tamra Davis, and based on the hugely popular musical 13, which debuted on Broadway in 2008, 13: THE MUSICAL is a coming-of-age journey through the unforgettable ups and downs of preteen life.

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Teddy B

One of the only factors of this film that isn't turning the cringe scale to 11 is a handful of songs that are enjoyable enough but do not make up for the lackluster story, unlikeable and often downright disgusting characters (mainly the protagonist), and the ultimate 'popification' of its atmosphere that is so desperately trying to be down-to-earth and rural.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/24

Full Review

Antonio G

I like the songs and everything, you should watch it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/05/23

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George Marc A

Awful. I expected better from Jason Robert Brown but this just god awful from start to finish.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

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Richard

A charming and earnest take on the teen musical that is much more technically well executed than many of its counterparts and comes across as having a lot more heart.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/01/23

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R C

A 2005 release would have been better than releasing in 2022. Good performances, but too formulaic for the audiences today.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/28/23

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Kira G

I had the pleasure of seeing 13 the musical on Broadway when it came out and I was around 15 - and while I was two years older I still related to it for many reasons and I have to say, this movie version did NOT do it Justice. I would never leave a review about a movie but I feel like there was absolutely no point in making this film. "Based off of the musical written by Jason Robert Brown" My. Ass. I feel bad for Jason Robert Brown for Netflix and whoever else essentially made a mockery of his brilliant musical. They took out what basically was the entire essence of the musical by adding songs that were not even half as good to make it more "kid friendly" That's not what this musical was ever about. 13 is a coming of age story about kids exploring themselves, exploring sex and navigating through hard social groups in middle school. It is also supposed to be 10x funnier. Songs like "Any Minute" were hilarious and made me remember why I liked the musical so much even now at 28 years old. The song writing of "terminal illness" it was hilarious and as a Jewish person- I happed to find it very funny. They hardly utilized the amazing talent of "Brett's boys" and took out "Hey Kendra"… I mean one of the funniest songs in the musical. I don't want to be a hater but it makes me incredibly sad to see a movie of Something that essentially got me through my teen years changed SO DRASTICALLY all in efforts to make it more "kid friendly"…. So rate it PG-13… which is the age group it's meant for anyway…. Sorry Mr. Jason Robert Brown. They ruined your brilliant musical.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/23/23

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Tamra Davis

Director

Eli Golden

Evan

Gabriella Uhl

Patrice

Debra Messing

Jessica

JD McCrary

Brett

Lindsey Blackwell

Kendra

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13: The Musical: Trailer 1

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Owen Gleiberman

Variety

“13: The Musical” is as synthetic as can be, but every five minutes or so there’s another number, and damned if they don’t pop.

Aug 16, 2022

Full Review

Caroline Siede

Fox 10 Phoenix

"13: The Musical" taps into the wholesome innocence of middle school, but misses out on the complexities of the age group it’s ostensibly celebrating.

Rated: C+

Aug 12, 2022

Full Review

Amy Nicholson

New York Times

While every image is as bright and colorful as a new box of crayons, the kids themselves never come across as artificial, thanks in part to Jamal Sims’ naturalistic but crisp choreography, which emphasizes stomps and leans and long-legged strides.

Rated: B-

Aug 12, 2022

Full Review

Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

13: The Musical burst onto the screen in such a self-assured manner that it’s impossible to ignore this showcase of a brand new crop of talented youngsters.

Jul 24, 2023

Full Review

Jeff Simon

Buffalo News

“13: The Musical” may have arrived too late for maximum impact (“Mean Girls” and “The Prom” were better looks at teendom) but it does make junior high seem more innocent than anyone imagined.

Jan 23, 2023

Full Review

Jason Flatt

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

A movie that could have been pretty decent was sullied by going for the easy way out at most of the most important turns.

Rated: 6.5/10

Jan 4, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Following his parents' divorce, 12-year-old Evan Goldman (Eli Golden) uproots from New York City with his mother Jessica (Debra Messing). With his Bar Mitzvah fast approaching, Evan is devastated that he must leave all his friends, his father (Peter Hermann) and his rabbi (Josh Peck) behind. But upon arriving at his grandmother's (Rhea Perlman) house in small-town Walkerton, Indiana, he hatches a plan to win new friends by turning his Bar Mitzvah into the coolest party ever. As an outsider navigating the complicated social circles of his new school, Evan quickly finds out he's not the only one grappling with the all too familiar anxieties of eighth grade. While his new friends Patrice (Gabriella Uhl) and Archie (Jonathan Lengel) fret over the fate of the planet and unrequited love, respectively, popular cheerleader Lucy (Frankie McNellis) desperately plots to stave off a first kiss between her crush Brett (JD McCrary) and best friend Kendra (Lindsey Blackwell). To make matters worse, Evan invites the popular kids to his party--who aren't fans of Patrice. With these competing interests in play, Evan faces the impossible task of bringing everyone happily together in time for his party, or else risk social ruin. Suddenly, turning 13 isn't looking as good as it's cracked up to be. Directed by Tamra Davis, and based on the hugely popular musical 13, which debuted on Broadway in 2008, 13: THE MUSICAL is a coming-of-age journey through the unforgettable ups and downs of preteen life.

Director: Tamra Davis
Executive Producer: Tamra Davis, Robert L. Boyett, Mark Nicholson, Jason Robert Brown, Robert Horn
Screenwriter: Robert Horn
Production Co: Zadan/Meron Productions
Rating: PG (Rude Humor|Some Thematic Elements)
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 12, 2022
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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