Best Music Biopics & Musicals on KLM Flights (May 2026): Critic-Ranked

Best Music Biopics & Musicals on KLM Flights — May 2026

The music category on KLM's IFE system is one of the most diverse genre selections available: studio musicals, concert documentaries, rock biopics, hip-hop origin stories, and blues-infused horror all share catalog space. May 2026 adds one headline title — Wicked: For Good (2025), Part 2 of the two-part Wicked film adaptation — that changes how the entire catalog functions. With both Wicked films now available, KLM passengers have access to a complete 5-hour musical that represents one of the most ambitious theatrical adaptations in recent film history.

→ Browse all KLM music and musical films ranked by critic score — inflight.guide

Headline Addition: Wicked + Wicked: For Good — The Complete Musical

Wicked (2024) — ~83%

Runtime: 2h 40m | RT: 88% | Metacritic: 74/100 (combined approximate — verify)

Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the Broadway musical, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, covers the first act of the stage show. Part 1 ends on the original show's interval. The film's production design, costume work, and the two lead performances were the most discussed elements on release; the Metacritic score reflects a mixed critical response to the pacing and structural choices. The RT score reflects broader enthusiasm.

Wicked: For Good (2025) — ~83% ★ NEW IN MAY

Runtime: 2h 30m | RT: ~85% | Metacritic: ~81/100 (score approximate — verify)

The second part of the Wicked adaptation, covering the second act of the stage show — the act that contains the title number "For Good," Elphaba's confrontation with the Wizard, and the narrative resolution. For audiences who saw Part 1, Part 2 is the completion of an incomplete story.

For KLM passengers, the significance is practical: Wicked and Wicked: For Good are now available back-to-back in the same catalog. The combined runtime is approximately 5 hours 10 minutes — a complete long-haul activity across the core hours of any transatlantic route. This is rare on any IFE system. Most carriers license one part; KLM has both simultaneously.

The Wicked double bill: Watch Part 1 directly after the meal service; Part 2 fills the remaining hours before sleep on a 10-11 hour route. Total: ~5h 10m.

Top Music Films — May 2026

1. Hairspray (2007) — 86%

Runtime: 1h 57m | RT: 91% | Metacritic: 81/100

Adam Shankman's adaptation of the Broadway musical — itself adapted from John Waters's 1988 film — is the highest combined-score musical in the May catalog. Set in 1962 Baltimore, the film follows Tracy Turnblad's campaign to integrate the local TV dance show. The ensemble — Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, James Marsden, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes — is the largest and most varied musical cast in the catalog. The energy is sustained across 117 minutes without the tonal unevenness that afflicts many film musicals.

2. In the Heights (2021) — 85.5%

Runtime: 2h 23m | RT: 96% | Metacritic: 75/100

Jon M. Chu's adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's stage musical is the most visually ambitious musical in the catalog: the Washington Heights neighbourhood in upper Manhattan photographed with the same energy as its community. The 96% RT score reflects critical enthusiasm for the cinematography, choreography, and performances. At 143 minutes, it's a substantial commitment that matches its ambition.

3. Wicked (2024) — ~83%

Runtime: 2h 40m | RT: 88% | Metacritic: 74/100 (score approximate — verify)

See headline section above. Ranked here for catalogue context: the first part is the stronger standalone entry by critical consensus and the necessary foundation for Part 2.

4. Wicked: For Good (2025) — ~83% ★ NEW IN MAY

Runtime: 2h 30m | RT: ~85% | Metacritic: ~81/100 (score approximate — verify)

See headline section above. The narrative completion of the Wicked story.

5. Walk the Line (2005) — 77%

Runtime: 2h 16m | RT: 83% | Metacritic: 71/100

James Mangold's Johnny Cash and June Carter biopic holds the middle tier of the May music catalog. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon both learned to perform their own vocals — a commitment that affects the performances in ways that lip-synced biopics rarely match. The film covers Cash's early career, his drug addiction, and his relationship with Carter. Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

6. Elvis (2022) — 75%

Runtime: 2h 39m | RT: 78% | Metacritic: 67/100 (combined approximate — verify)

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic is the most visually maximalist music film in the catalog. Austin Butler's performance dominated the promotional cycle and received significant critical attention; Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker divides opinion. At 159 minutes and with Luhrmann's characteristic sensory overload, it's a film that demands attention rather than allowing it to wander.

7. A Complete Unknown (2024) — 79%

Runtime: 2h 20m | RT: 85% | Metacritic: 73/100 (combined approximate — verify)

James Mangold's Bob Dylan biopic covers Dylan's arrival in New York in 1961 and his rise through the folk music scene to the Newport Folk Festival electric set in 1965. Timothée Chalamet's performance is the headline. The film is rigorous about the period and the music's politics without being reverential. At 140 minutes, it suits the mid-flight hours.

8. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) — 55%

Runtime: 2h 14m | RT: 61% | Metacritic: 49/100

The lowest combined score in the music catalog and the most discussed gap between critic and audience response in the entire KLM selection. Rami Malek's Academy Award-winning performance as Freddie Mercury is universally praised; the film around it is widely criticised for sanitising its subject. For passengers who want Freddie Mercury, the performance is worth the film's limitations.

Music Film Rankings — May 2026

Rank	Title	Year	Runtime	RT	Metacritic	Combined
1	Hairspray	2007	1h 57m	91%	81	86%
2	In the Heights	2021	2h 23m	96%	75	85.5%
3	Wicked ★ returning	2024	2h 40m	88%	74	~83%*
4	Wicked: For Good ★ NEW	2025	2h 30m	~85%	~81	~83%*
5	A Complete Unknown	2024	2h 20m	85%	73	~79%*
6	Walk the Line	2005	2h 16m	83%	71	77%
7	Elvis	2022	2h 39m	78%	67	~75%*
8	Better Man	2024	2h 14m	~78%	~72	~75%*
9	Back to Black	2024	2h 3m	62%	46	~54%
10	Bohemian Rhapsody	2018	2h 14m	61%	49	55%

Score approximate — verify against current indices.

The Sinners Crossover

Sinners (2025, ~94% combined) is classified as action/horror in most catalog systems — but it is fundamentally a film about music. Set in 1932 Mississippi, the film is built around the origins of the blues: the twin brothers who open a juke joint, the musicians they attract, and the supernatural force that is drawn by the music itself. Ryan Coogler has described it as a film about what music costs and what it creates.

For passengers interested in the music category: Sinners is the most musically substantive film in the entire May catalog by critical consensus, even though it doesn't appear in the music section by genre classification. If you watch it here, pair it with Better Man or Walk the Line for a three-film arc across American popular music history.

The Complete Music Biopic Watchlist

The full music-adjacent catalog in May 2026 spans six decades of popular music:

Film	Subject	Era
Sinners	Origins of the blues	1932
Walk the Line	Johnny Cash	1950s–70s
Hairspray	1960s R&B TV	1962
Bohemian Rhapsody	Queen	1970s–90s
Back to Black	Amy Winehouse	2000s
A Complete Unknown	Bob Dylan	1961–65
Elvis	Elvis Presley	1950s–70s
Better Man	Robbie Williams	1990s–2000s
In the Heights	Hip-hop, Latino NYC	2000s
Wicked / For Good	Broadway adaptation	Timeless

→ Filter all KLM music films by genre and score — inflight.guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wicked: For Good on KLM in May 2026? Yes — Wicked: For Good (2025) is confirmed in KLM's May 2026 inflight entertainment catalog. Both Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025) are available simultaneously, enabling a back-to-back viewing of approximately 5 hours 10 minutes.

Can I watch both Wicked films back-to-back on a KLM flight? Yes — KLM's May 2026 catalog includes both Wicked (2024, Part 1, 2h 40m) and Wicked: For Good (2025, Part 2, ~2h 30m). The combined runtime of approximately 5h 10m fits within the main entertainment window on any transatlantic route of 10 hours or longer.

What is the highest-rated music biopic on KLM in May 2026? By combined Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic score, Hairspray (2007, ~86% combined) is the highest-rated musical in the May catalog. Sinners (2025, ~94% combined) is the highest-scoring music-adjacent film in the full catalog, though it is classified as action/horror.

Is Back to Black on KLM in May 2026? Yes — Back to Black (2024), the Amy Winehouse biopic starring Marisa Abela, is confirmed in KLM's May 2026 catalog. The film scores ~54% combined — the lowest in the music category — but remains available for fans of Winehouse's music.