The Greatest Showman (2017)

In this fun musical film we follow the story of a man called P.T. Barnum as he tries to make a living for himself and his family by creating a new attraction, a museum of oddities, however when this doesn't create the buzz that Barnum was hoping for, he groups together a gang of the unusual and creates a circus show for the public of America to see. Business is booming and things seem to be going well, however there's no rose without a thorn, and as Barnum's show gains more haters every day he must fight to keep the show alive. Throughout the movie we get to see Barnum's life from when he was just a child living in poverty to him as an adult living with his wife and children. Barnum's character is the main protagonist in the film and we see him progress as a person, making good decisions and bad ones. Barnum's circus contains many people who at that time had been labelled as outcasts by the public. His crew contains people such as a bearded lady, one of the tallest, and smallest, men in America, and many others like the man who is entirely covered in tattoos. Barnum's business partner, Phillip Carlyle, immediately takes interest in one of the trapeze acts, Anne Wheeler and throughout the movie we can see their ups and downs and the struggle together while being from the two different sides of society. There are some incredible songs and dance numbers in this film, and it's sure to become a family favourite. I like it because I think that there is something in it for everyone, and while it does explore some darker topics like discrimination it's done well and easy for younger ones to understand. The songs are catchy and it has a loveable cast making this a good go to movie night film. The costume and set design is incredibly good, truly making it feel as if the film was made during that time, and the plot has a good pace to it, never leaving you too bored. Overall I would definitely recommend this to people with young children or to anyone who wants some light hearted fun.