‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Movie Review

What’s poppin’, y’all?  I saw Bohemian Rhapsody this past Saturday (Nov. 10, 2018), and I have to say…it was a killer movie (slight pun intended…you know, like “Killer Queen”?  Y’all get it!).  Just a bit of backstory:  I didn’t realize Queen existed until Wayne’s World was released back in 1992.  I was 10 years old.  Wayne, Garth, and a few of their other friends were listening to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and I when I saw them bobbing their heads to the music, I fell in love with the song, although it was one of—if not the—most unorthodox compositions I’d ever heard in my young life.  My mother informed me that “Bohemian Rhapsody” was actually a popular song back when she was in high school, and that Freddie passed away from AIDS some time ago (a few months prior to the movie being released, to be exact).  That last tidbit made me sad of course, but nonetheless, I was a Queen fan for life.

So, when I heard about Bohemian Rhapsody being released November of this year, I had to see it.  The trailer appeared to be excellent, and I’ve always loved music biopics.  I wanted to watch the movie when the film premiered the week before last (Nov. 2, 2018), but between me being extremely sick and having money issues, it wasn’t a possibility.  But, I was finally able to see the film I’ve been waiting the last few months to watch this past Saturday night, and I was extremely pleased.

Bohemian Rhapsody focuses on Queen’s early days from 1970, when Freddie first joins the band, and chronicles their time together up until 1985.  Although the film is described as a Queen biopic, the majority of the focus is on Freddie and his relationships, romantic and platonic.  There were rumors swirling around of the film being “heterowashed” simply because the trailer mostly focused on Freddie’s longtime girlfriend, Mary Austin.  This allegation is false.  The movie details Freddie’s romances with men and women, including the one person he was seeing that made you wanna come through the screen and slap him/her (no spoilers).  The audience also learns a lot about how the band created most of their iconic songs, and the experimentations they did to make the music come to life.

Rami Malek, aka Elliot from Mr. Robot (he’ll always be Elliot to me) crushed it as Freddie Mercury.  At the very least, he should be nominated for an Oscar and/or Golden Globe.  Gwilym Lee, the actor who portrays Brian May, looks like an exact duplicate of the real musician.  To be honest, Rami looked like Freddie come to life again (aside from the change in eye color).  Joseph Marzello is hardly recognizable as John “Deacy” Deacon (that’s the kid from Jurassic Park, by the way).  Ben Hardy also did a great job as Roger Taylor.  Mike Meyers makes an appearance in the film as well (a callback to Wayne’s World).  If you plan on seeing the movie, I dare you to try and point him out.

A lot of people have reservations about the film due to some of the historical inaccuracies, but in my opinion, they don’t take away from the movie as a whole.  To be completely honest, all biopics take creative license.  There were historical inaccuracies in well-renowned biopics such as Ray, Walk the Line, The New Edition Story, Straight Outta Compton, and What’s Love Got to Do With It, just to name a few.  My advice is to not let a few changes to the real story deter you from watching it if you really want to see it.  My only minuscule gripe with the film is how certain events in the beginning and end of the flick happen too perfectly.  For example, at the start, Freddie meets the band literally five seconds after they lose their lead singer and wastes no time asking to be his replacement.  Now true, I just finished saying that creative license doesn’t take away from the film as a whole, but at the same time, you can’t help but think yourself, “I know he didn’t get in the band that easily.”  Like I said though, that was a small gripe.  I can suspend my disbelief and still enjoy the scene, as well as the last “perfect” scene (once again, no spoilers, y’all).  To be honest, the last perfectly put together part of the film made me a bit misty-eyed.

Bottom line y’all, this movie was boss.  If you’re a Queen fan or not a Queen fan, or you’re just a neutral person that’s just realizing that you’ve heard some of their songs on movies, TV shows, and commercials, but never knew it, go out and watch Bohemian Rhapsody.  The acting is superb, the script is well-written, and the music will have you flocking to your Apple Music and Spotify accounts to download any Queen songs you don’t already have.  This flick is well worth your money.

—Written by Nadiya

So what did y’all think about Bohemian Rhapsody?  Did the creative license throw you off or were you fine with it?  Did Rami Malek do a great job as Freddie Mercury?  Did you think Freddie was “heterowashed” in the film?  Are you a Queen fan?  What made you become a fan to begin with?  When did you first hear the song the movie is named for?  Let me know in the comments section!