Bugsy Malone

Bugsy Malone

Every year brings a great movie. Every decade a great movie musical!

Directed by Alan Parker

Produced by Goodtimes Enterprises, Bugsy Malone Productions

197693 min6.6 / 10

A whimsical, all-child gangster musical that playfully subverts noir conventions with custard pies and charm, celebrating innocence and romance in a 1920s setting.

New York, 1929, a war rages between two rival gangsters, Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. Dan is in possession of a new and deadly weapon, the dreaded "splurge gun". As the custard pies fly, Bugsy Malone, an all-round nice guy, falls for Blousey Brown, a singer at Fat Sam's speakeasy. His designs on her are disrupted by the seductive songstress Tallulah who wants Bugsy for herself.

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Is Bugsy Malone easy watching? Yes, very. More comforting than 95% of films.

  • Does Bugsy Malone end with hope? Yes, very. More hopeful than 90% of films.

  • Is Bugsy Malone sad? Barely. Less sad than 80% of films.

  • Is Bugsy Malone scary? Barely. Less frightening than 76% of films.

  • Is Bugsy Malone violent? Barely. Less violent than 76% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

Written about

49/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity39

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise59

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love50

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like Bugsy Malone, and what each one shares →

Like Bugsy Malone

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Bugsy Malone

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Bugsy Malone, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Bugsy Malone, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Bugsy Malone, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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