Next To Normal Movie Review (2025)
A musical proshot about a family navigating grief and mental health, Next to Normal is beautifully staged and emotionally overwhelming, with exceptional performances and a distinctly unique story in the world of musical theatre.
I remember when Next To Normal first made it to Broadway in 2009. I have always been a huge Broadway nerd and a Chicago theatre critic for years, but my second child was just turning one, and this show kind of fell into the cracks for me. I generally knew what it was about, and I became obsessed with the song “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” which has lived on my playlist ever since. But I didn’t know the show as well as I know so many others, so it was exciting when this proshot finally became available.
Next To Normal is about the Goodman family. Mother, Diana, suffers from bipolar disorder and cycles through both mania and depression. Her husband, Dan, tries to keep a steady pace for the family, while Diana waits up for her teenage son, who has broken curfew, and her daughter, Natalie, feels pushed aside. Natalie meets Henry, who she begins dating, and Diana continues to see her psychiatrist, who tries her on various medications that impact her mood.
Oh. My. Goodness. This show. I have not seen the original version of Next To Normal, but this 2025 proshot absolutely floored me. I watched it with my daughter (who is now 17 and has been raised to appreciate and critique theatre), and we are still talking about it days later. It has taken me this long to translate some of my emotions into words.
The actors are all incredible, and the set is primarily a room on the stage floor that serves as the family kitchen, a hospital, and the psychiatrist’s office. Above and behind this room is a series of windowed boxes, with a staircase that heads up to the balcony, that house the band and, occasionally, an actor.
The songs in the show are good, with a few bangers like “I’m Alive,” “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” and “I Am The One.” Many of them serve the narrative and aren’t songs I’d listen to on repeat, but, in the end, that doesn’t matter.
Next To Normal is unlike any other musical I’ve ever seen. Mental illness and trauma aren’t subjects often addressed in this arena, and certainly not in detail. These things affect different people in different ways, and your trauma has the ability to infect other people if you are a central figure in their lives. They may not share your trauma, but your existence and how you manage it creates a new cycle. This show also addresses how people both want to be “cured” from the carried trauma while diving right back in again, allowing it to wholeheartedly envelop you.
I watched the last 10 minutes of Next To Normal sick to my stomach, with my mouth hanging open, as did my daughter. It is heartbreaking, affecting, and intimate, with only 6 characters. There are lovely voices and an unbelievably powerful message, along with no bad guy. No one in this show is trying to do anything wrong. They each have their own demons to contend with, and you watch that play out. It is as real as they come, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Truly, what a show. Bravo.
Runtime: 130 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated (I would say PG-14 or R)
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? I got choked up and was completely emotionally overwhelmed
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Available: To watch on PBS or through BroadwayHD memberships
