YMMV / Music (2021)

• Cliché Storm: Reviews highlighted that the film follows some very predictable tropes such as Inspirationally Disabled and Children Raise You. In fact, Kate Hudson had already done a similar story of a woman ending up as a caregiver to a younger relative in Raising Helen.
• Don't Shoot the Message: Viewers agree that portraying both non-verbal autism and having the autistic character be female (as most representations are male) are worthy concepts for a movie - but such a patronizing and stereotypical story was not the best place to do it.
• Ethnic Scrappy: Ebo was particularly poorly-received by audiences because he's less of a character than he is an amalgamation of African stereotypes. He's a boxing coach who seemingly only exists to enlighten the film's Caucasian protagonist, wears Kenta-patterned clothes, speaks with a thick accent, hails from a nondescript "village" in "Africa" populated by superstitious people who are heavily implied to have killed his autistic younger brother (which he then proceeds to smile at the thought of), and he has HIV.
• Glurge: The film tells the story of a recovering alcoholic learning to be responsible by caring for her autistic sister. Said sister serves mostly as a means to further the neurotypical main character's story and Character Development, and the depiction of autism has been criticized as inaccurate and problematic. Music is portrayed as Inspirationally Disadvantaged to the hilt; she's a cheerful and pure-hearted girl who literally views the world as a big bright-hued musical and the only downsides to her autism are occasionally having meltdowns (glossing over all the difficulties that can arise with autism such as financial instability and social isolation, and the fact her guardian struggles to provide her with proper care).
• Narm:
  • The first name "Music" is too on-the-nose and symbolic to be taken seriously, and adds to the exaggerated pureness of the character.
  • If Music's "autistic" behavior doesn't come across as horribly offensive, chances are you'll find it unintentionally laughable instead thanks to her body language and vocalizations coming across as an exaggerated caricature of a person with a mental disability.
  • Ebo tells Zu about his younger brother who was also autistic.
    Zu: Where is he now?
    Ebo: He is dead now. (smiles)
• Offending the Creator's Own: In spite of all the criticism the film received from the autistic community, Sia was actually diagnosed with autism herself following its release.
• Overshadowed by Controversy: Most discussions of the film focus on the its portrayal of autism, widely criticized as being inaccurate and offensive (particularly the presence of scenes depicting Music being subjected to dangerous prone restraints during her meltdowns), the decision to cast a neurotypical actress in the role of the title character rather than an autistic one, and Sia's rants against the film's detractors.
• Pandering to the Base: In theory, this film was supposed to appeal to the autistic community. With how it depicted autistic people and reduced its title character to a Living Prop at best and an outright burden to her carers at worst — on top of strong-arming a young neurotypical actress into the role — to say it backfired spectacularly would be an understatement.
• Questionable Casting: Much of the controversy surrounding the movie stems from the casting of Maddie Ziegler, a neurotypical actress, as Music, an autistic character. Many critics have pointed out that not only is this taking away a casting opportunity from an autistic actress, but how Ziegler's performance comes across as an exaggerated caricature due to her lack of familiarity with the condition. Ziegler herself was aware of the potential to offend, to the point that she broke down in tears on the first day of filming.
• Signature Scene: The most discussed scenes from this movie are the two where a prone restraint (referred to as "Crushing her with [their] love") is performed on Music; first by Ebo to establish him as someone who knows how to take care of Music, and later by Zu at the park to show her Character Development. They drew considerable controversy due to their apparent endorsement of what is known to be a dangerous technique that can injure, traumatize and even suffocate the recipient to death.
• Spiritual Adaptation:
  • Many considered the movie a real-life version of Simple Jack due to its unironic use of the Inspirationally Disadvantaged trope as Award Bait material.
  • Sia herself once described it as "Rain Man the musical, but with girls".
  • Given the similar subject matter and overwhelming negative reception, the film is basically a cinematic adaptation of the CBS made-for-TV movie Riding the Bus with My Sister.
• Took the Bad Film Seriously: In spite of the myriad of criticism for how problematic the film was, Kate Hudson's performance got praised. In fact, some reviews stated that she belonged in a different movie.
• Trapped by Mountain Lions: Felix's entire plotline, which frequently interrupts the main story but never ties into it.
• The Woobie: Music. Aside from her sister, Zu, seeing her mostly as an infantile burden (which Music herself is implied to be very aware of), she's seen on the receiving end of several so-called "treatments" when she stims or is overwhelmed emotionally, including being put in a chokehold and tackled to the ground face-down, and is almost abandoned to a mental institution by Zu. It's hard not to pity her with everything she goes through.

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