La La Land (2016)
Here's to the fools who dream.
Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 1 December 2016 |
| Genre | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
| Director | Damien Chazelle |
| Starring | Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and John Legend |
| Runtime | 129 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.7/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 91% · Metacritic 94/100 · IMDb 8.0/10 · TMDB users 7.9/10 |
| Budget | $30 million |
Where to watch La La Land
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What kind of watch this is
Damien Chazelle directs this 129-minute musical romance about two people chasing impossible dreams in Los Angeles. Ryan Gosling plays a jazz musician, while Emma Stone is an aspiring actress. The film treats the city as a character, painting its sunsets in shades of electric blue and neon pink. It is bright, loud, and aggressively sentimental. The music swells even when the plot gets heavy. Chazelle leans into the genre’s clichés until they feel fresh again. It is a love letter to the idea of dreaming itself, not just the act of loving someone.
What the critics said
Critics didn't just like La La Land; they leaned in. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 91% as of November 2022, with an average rating of 8.7/10. Metacritic is even more generous, posting a 94/100 metascore by June 2025. That level of consensus is rare. Peter Travers called it "a hot miracle," while Michael Phillips found Stone's performance alone was "reason enough to see La La Land." A.O. Scott noted it succeeds as both a fantasy and a fable. The praise for Chazelle's direction and the musical numbers was nearly universal. Even those who questioned the middle section still gave it top marks. It is a film that refuses to be ignored.
How it did with audiences
It cost $30 million and took in $446 million worldwide, a figure that other sources peg at $472 million. The notes claim a true total of $526.4 million, which makes the accounting a bit of a puzzle. Deadline Hollywood calculated a net profit of $68.25 million, placing it among the top 20 most profitable releases of 2016. On TMDB, users rate it 7.9 out of 10. IMDb gives it an 8.0/10 weighted average as of March 2026. Audiences clearly did the math before the accountants did.
Awards
La La Land swept the 74th Golden Globes, taking home all 7 of its nominations and setting a record for the most wins by a single film. It also took home 6 Academy Awards in 2017, including Best Director for Damien Chazelle and Best Actress for Emma Stone. The film tied the record for most Oscar nominations with 14. It even won the Volpi Cup at Venice.
What came next for the cast
Before La La Land, Ryan Gosling was known for Drive and The Notebook. Afterward, he appeared in Blade Runner 2049, Barbie, and Project Hail Mary. Emma Stone traded The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for Cruella, Zombieland: Double Tap, and The Favourite. Rosemarie DeWitt moved from The Watch and Cinderella Man to The Boys, Smile 2, and The Professor. The credits list these shifts, but they do not prove the musical caused them. They simply mark the next turn in each path.
Where it left its mark
La La Land settled into the canon as a modern classic, largely because it treats the movie musical as a living form rather than a museum piece. Critics have noted its attention to detail and its clear debt to Singin' in the Rain. Helena Trauger of The Beacon called it the best film of the 2010s, citing its creative execution. Time Out later ranked it 79th on its 21st-century list, praising its signature opening. Jeremy Urquhart of Collider argued it updates 1950s Hollywood without feeling derivative. It sits comfortably in the top tier, a reminder that the genre never really died, it just went to dinner.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched La La Land.
Sources
- La La Land on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q20856802 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “La La Land” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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