SummaryInspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation
Directed By:Michael Gracey
Written By:Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon
The Greatest Showman
Metascore
Mixed or Average
48
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
48
28% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
51% Mixed
22 Reviews
22 Reviews
21% Negative
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
Dec 20, 2017
100
The Greatest Showman is the feel-good (and feel good about it) movie every holiday season needs. P.T. Barnum is famous for saying there’s a sucker born every minute and he’s still right. For 105 minutes I’m a sucker for his movie, that may not be the greatest show on Earth but close enough.
Dec 20, 2017
75
The movie never quite stops feeling like Moulin Rouge! written in extra-large block font, or Broadway projected straight onto a big screen, which certainly isn’t bad news if that’s exactly what you love.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
72% Positive
459 Ratings
459 Ratings
21% Mixed
133 Ratings
133 Ratings
7% Negative
46 Ratings
46 Ratings
Nov 16, 2025
10
"Extraordinary, unique, i would even say beautiful", those were the words of Phineas Taylor Barnum when he first encountered one of his extraordinary talents, and they're exactly the words i'd use to describe The Greatest Showman, it's not just one of the greatest shows i've ever seen, it's absolutely glorious, Hugh Jackman, in his second attempt at a large scale live-action musical after the miserable experience i'd have with Les Misérables, finally finds the perfect story and, more importantly, the perfect direction under Michael Gracey, making an impressive mark with his directorial debut. The magic of The Greatest Showman lies in its simplicity, a heartfelt, easy to follow story filled with warmth and emotion, and because it's a musical, the songs matter, and every single one delivers, there's a reason the film produced four worldwide hits, the soundtrack isn't just memorable for the movie, it's genuinely powerful on its own, the songs are uplifting, enchanting, and, honestly, it's pure magic. Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and the rest of the ensemble shine in their roles, bringing the film spirit to life with charisma and heart, experiencing The Greatest Showman feels like living one of those "million dreams" the film celebrates, i absolutely loved The Greatest Showman.
Dec 21, 2017
60
Like Barnum’s menagerie, it’s escapism at its finest, tossing away the shackles of realism to dazzle us with this strange spectacle, leaving us to wonder afterwards if it was really worth it.
Dec 22, 2017
50
After seven and a half years in the making, it’s a dumb, dull, lackluster letdown. Hugh Jackman still does everything right. It’s the film that gets it all wrong.
Dec 20, 2017
40
Musicals are inherently fake — they can be ecstatically, transcendentally fake — but this is a whole other level of disingenuousness.
Dec 20, 2017
38
The preachy “Showman” argues that Barnum should be celebrated for bringing “freaks” like the bearded lady and others out of the shadows and into his shows, but those characters are sketchily drawn.
Dec 20, 2017
0
It's an empty, moronic, pandering and utterly forgettable, low-rent "Moulin Rouge" that pays curious tribute to Barnum by similarly hailing its audience as slack-jawed rubes, slobbering for whatever passes as entertainment. It's godawful.
Oct 24, 2024
6
The Greatest Showman is a well-directed, but poorly written film, with a dull and a predictable plot. Some of the characters or relationships are enjoyable, like Phillip and Anne, but others like P. T. and Charity Barnum aren't. The dialogues feel forced and unnatural to me. The theme of the movie is great, but it showcases both good and bad ways to tell stories surrounding this theme. In the end I enjoyed the film, but at times I wanted it to be over. The directing is great, the choreography is awesome, but I felt like many of the scenes didn't need singing and music. A story like this can be told musically, but the lyrics have to be important and meaningful, because without that, it's unnecessary. The editing is bad, the pacing is terrible, there were many boring scenes, while others were great and exciting. The Greatest Showman is an enjoyable movie, but it has many boring scenes and characters.
Mar 24, 2020
6
The manufactured conflicts, including an interracial love affair between Zac Efron and Zendaya's characters, or a sub-plot concerning circus protestors, wear thin as they go along. The best musicals not only have great music and colorful dance numbers but a powerful central narrative. That aspect is clearly lacking in this script.
Feb 7, 2021
3
not just poorly assembled but also incredibly boring. What a waste of talent.
May 19, 2019
3
I really wanted to enjoy this movie, but I just couldn't get into it. I'll start by saying that I didn't enjoy the music, so I had no hope of enjoying this movie really. I can see why people might like it though. All the music sounded the same to my ears, just a lot of over the top, trying to be awe inspiring, key changing drudgery.
Music aside, for a movie about a "Great" show, we never really saw any of the actual show until the very end. Most of the time that there is a shot of the show, it is just a group of people doing Michael Jackson type dancing and singing about how great the show is. The characters and story telling were shallow and basic. Overall just a bit boring and pointless.
Production Company:
- 20th Century Fox
- TSG Entertainment
- Laurence Mark Productions
- Chernin Entertainment
Release Date:Dec 20, 2017
Duration:1 h 45 m
Rating:PG
Tagline:The Impossible Comes True
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Teen Choice Awards
• 4 Wins & 7 Nominations
