Soundtrack: Netflix Review
Soundtrack’ is a musical drama series created by Josh Safran and was originally developed for Fox under the name Mixtape, with the trailer seemingly sticking to that original concept via the sound of the “play” button on a cassette player being pressed and released to accent dramatic points. It explores the love stories connecting a diverse group of people living in Los Angeles through the music that lives inside their hearts and minds. All 10 episodes of Soundtrack will be available to watch on Netflix from 18th December 2019.
As the stories unfold, the various relationships go through highs and lows, with ambitious song and dance numbers illuminating the characters’ journeys as hardships begin to threaten their bonds. The series is largely inspired by Pennies From Heaven, a BBC miniseries in 1978 that was later adapted into a movie starring Steve Martin and Christopher Walken in 1981, with a dash of Magnolia. The cast includes Jenna Dewan (Witches of East End), Campbell Scott (House of Cards), Madeleine Stowe (Revenge), Callie Hernandez (Graves) and Paul James (The Path).
‘Soundtrack’ features a dozen key characters, at the heart of the tale are two families from very different circumstances — one in Watts and another in Bel Air — who serve as the lynchpins for which all the characters spring off of. The format of the show is unique as well, with each of the episodes focusing squarely on two characters and their love stories, whether it be the love of your family, your sibling, your children, your romantic partner, your parent, your work or your dream.
Each hour also features several musical numbers, which represent the characters’ greatest fantasies and serve as stark contrasts to their often dull, imperfect realities. Safran took inspiration from early Cameron Crowe and James Brooks in dreaming up these fantastical sequences that he likened to “music videos from the ’90s and 2000s” that are like “explosions” to the senses. “It’s not your typical musical where you’re singing on a stage or walking down the hall singing a love song. Every song matters to the plot and every song is a huge production number,” Safran promises.
Netflix has published a trailer on December 3 along with a short description, “Every song is a love song. Watch the trailer for Soundtrack, premiering December 18th only on Netflix. Love, loss and transformative luck intersect in this musical series about two struggling artists experiencing life at full volume in Los Angeles.” Check out the trailer above.