Which 2016 Irish independent musical is set in 1980s Dublin and follows a boy starting a band? The answer is Sing Street.
Written and directed by Irish filmmaker John Carney, Sing Street is set primarily in Dublin in 1985. Its protagonist, Conor “Cosmo” Lawlor, is transferred from a private school to the rougher Synge Street Christian Brothers school after his family runs into financial trouble. Hoping to impress the aspiring model Raphina, he forms a band with schoolmates and begins writing songs and making homemade music videos.
The film’s music reflects the pop and new-wave culture of the 1980s, with influences from bands such as The Cure, Duran Duran, a-ha, and The Clash. Its original songs chart Conor’s emotional growth: the band’s sound changes as he experiments with different identities and learns to turn awkward teenage experiences into creative expression.
Sing Street is often mixed up with Once or Begin Again because all three are music-centered films directed by Carney. Once follows adult musicians in contemporary Dublin, while Begin Again is set largely in New York. Sing Street is the distinctly adolescent story, combining family tension, school pressure, first love, and the dream of escape through music.