Overview
A hilarious and heartfelt journey into the world of soul music and ambition in Dublin.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- music night
- group movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a vibrantly funny, heartfelt, energetic, and music-centered ensemble comedy, while some found its storytelling predictable or its cultural premise overly simplistic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jimmy assembles a diverse Dublin soul band whose musical collaboration is repeatedly strained by competing personalities and ambitions.
The Dublin musicians embrace black American soul music, treating it as a vehicle for local identity, aspiration, and performance.
Auditions, rehearsals, and concerts provide the main arenas for exposing the band's conflicts, personalities, and growing cohesion.
The film fills its Dublin settings with lively ensemble behavior, irreverent humor, and high-energy soul performances.
Films like The Commitments, and why
Brassed Off
music-driven ensemble comedy with energetic performances, working-class ambition, and affectionate social humor
Sing Street
warm, irreverent band story centered on artistic ambition, friendship, and communal performance
School of Rock
character-rich musical comedy balancing backstage conflict, lively humor, and the transformative power of performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Alan Parker
- Release Date
- 1991-08-14
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (632)
Cast
- Robert Arkins
- Michael Aherne
- Angeline Ball
- Maria Doyle Kennedy
- Dave Finnegan
- Bronagh Gallagher
- Félim Gormley
- Glen Hansard
- Dick Massey
- Johnny Murphy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Commitments about?
- An ambitious Dublin promoter builds a volatile soul band whose ecstatic music briefly overcomes the chaos of its mismatched members.
- What is The Commitments like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Commitments as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Commitments violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Commitments.
- What did critics think of The Commitments?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a vibrantly funny, heartfelt, energetic, and music-centered ensemble comedy, while some found its storytelling predictable or its cultural premise overly simplistic.
- Which films are like The Commitments?
- Films with a similar feel include Brassed Off, Sing Street, and School of Rock.
- How long is The Commitments?
- The Commitments runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Commitments?
- In United States, The Commitments streams on fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
