With ‘Mother Mary’ as Hollywood’s Latest Implausible Pop Star, Why Does Every Fictional Music Movie Have to Feel So Phony?

Home Music Columns Apr 25, 2026 5:30pm PT With ‘Mother Mary’ as Hollywood’s Latest Implausible Pop Star, Why Does Every Fictional Music Movie Have to Feel So Phony? By Chris Willman Mark Harris for Variety Why is it that nearly every fictional movie that is about music, or set in a musical milieu, has to feel as phony as a $2 resale ticket? Biopics like “Michael,” “Back to Black” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are their own unbelievable animals. But I’m talking about the wave of promising-sounding, mostly cringe-inducing dramas like “Mother Mary” (going into wide release this weekend) that give us fictionalized superstars who don’t come within 12 bars of passing the credibility test … not even when they’re played by actual pop superstars like the Weeknd and Charli xcx.  Related Stories 'The Chi' Sets Final Season Release Date at Paramount+