Merrily We Roll Along (2025) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: Maria Friedman
STARRING: Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez
RATED: PG-13/Region: A/1:78/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Sony Pictures
The first thing you need to know about Merrily We Roll Along is that it’s based on the musical by the legendary Stephen Sondheim, which means two things are guaranteed: the music will be fantastic, and the story will probably make you question every life decision you’ve ever made by the time the credits roll.
For those unfamiliar, Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of three friends—Frank, Charley, and Mary—and their slow-motion emotional train wreck of careers and relationships. The twist? The story is told backwards. So instead of watching people ruin their lives step-by-step like a normal movie, you start at the bitter, cynical end and work your way back to the hopeful beginning. It’s like emotional archaeology. By the end you’re basically digging up the ruins of everyone’s optimism.
The film follows composer-turned-Hollywood-sellout Frank, played by Jonathan Groff, as we peel back the layers of how he went from bright-eyed dreamer to guy who probably owns three expensive houses and regrets all of them. Along the way we meet his loyal but increasingly frustrated collaborator Charley ( Daniel Radcliffe ) and their endlessly supportive friend Mary ( Lindsay Mendez ), who spends a good portion of the movie watching the friendship implode like someone helplessly observing a slow car crash in reverse.
And honestly? The cast absolutely sells it. Groff brings just the right amount of charm and quiet regret to Frank, Radcliffe continues his impressive post-wizard franchise streak of choosing interesting projects, and Mendez delivers the kind of emotional punch that makes you feel like you’ve been personally called out for every bad friendship decision you’ve ever made.
Of course, because this is Stephen Sondheim, the music is the real star. The songs are sharp, clever, and occasionally devastating in the way only Sondheim can manage. One minute you’re tapping your foot, and the next you’re realizing the lyrics are basically a philosophical essay about ambition, compromise, and how adulthood slowly eats your dreams like a very polite shark.
That said, the backwards storytelling gimmick can take a minute to click. At first you’re watching people behave like miserable adults and wondering why you should care about them. But as the film rolls further back in time, the tragedy starts to hit. You begin to see the friendships when they were joyful, the ambitions when they were pure, and suddenly the whole thing becomes a bittersweet reminder that life rarely turns out the way we planned.
So yes, Merrily We Roll Along is funny, heartfelt, and occasionally a little emotionally brutal. It’s also the rare musical where the ending is technically the beginning… and somehow that makes everything sadder.
In other words, it’s a beautiful reminder that dreams are wonderful, friendship is fragile, and if someone suggests telling your life story backwards, you might discover exactly where everything went wrong.
Extras
- Theatrical Trailer
