Jukebox musicals are a hit or miss genre with some proving to be misses such as “Mamma Mia” or “Moulin Rouge!” and others being very entertaining including “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” and “The Blues Brothers.” “Across the Universe” is one of the best musicals of the 21st century with a catalogue of songs by The Beatles.

The film tells the story of a group of young people in the late 1960s all of which have names linked to Beatles’ songs including the Liverpool native Jude, clean cut siblings Lucy and Max, lesbian teen Prudence and musicians Sadie and JoJo. Together they undergo all of the elements of the 60s counterculture including LSD, war protests and everything in between.

There is little plot structure and the story is mainly told through song. All six main characters have relatable story arcs and their interactions with the life of the 60s are enjoyable to watch. The songs chosen for the film reflect the entire career of The Beatles from their early albums including “A Hard Day’s Night” and their later efforts including “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Abbey Road.”

The film also contains singing cameos which add a variety to the soundtrack including Joe Cocker on the song “Come Together” and Bono on “I Am The Walrus.” The musical numbers are creative and give a unique style to the film while also furthering the stories of the main characters. Even if a musical number is pointless, it’s so visually spectacular that the viewer won’t care.

“Across The Universe” is perfect for anyone who loves The Beatles and who loves the musical genre as a whole.