If there is a cinematic formula that Australia consistently gets right, it’s the quirky, campy, and ultimately heartwarming coming-of-age story. With The Deb, Rebel Wilson steps behind the camera for her directorial debut, delivering a confident, uplifting, and outrageous musical comedy that feels like a spiritual Gen-Z successor to classics like Muriel’s Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert with just a touch of Mean Girls in the outback for good measure.
Based on the hit stage production by Hannah Reilly and Meg Washington, the film is a delightful clash of cultures, politics, and spectacular musical numbers that will be sure to not only go viral on TikTok (Reels or Shorts for the millennials in the audience) but also deliver a classic soundtrack that will leave you humming long after you have left the cinema (Wildfire, I’m looking at you!)
The story kicks off with Maeve Simpkins (Charlotte MacInnes), an outspoken, ultra-woke Sydney teenager whose latest act of feminist rebellion gets her “cancelled” and banished to the dusty, drought-stricken rural town of Dunburn. There, she is forced to live with her uncle, Mayor Rick (Shane Jacobson), and her sweet, socially awkward cousin, Taylah (Natalie Abbott). While Maeve is busy scoffing at the patriarchy and the town’s outdated traditions, Taylah has only one dream: to find a date and make her grand debut at the town’s annual debutante ball—the titular “Deb.”
What follows is an incredibly fun fish-out-of-water dynamic as the two cousins team up to navigate small-town politics, drought-relief efforts, and a trio of local mean girls known as the “Pixie Cups” (Stevie Jean, Brianna Bishop, and Karis Oka). Led by the Kris Jenner adjacent, Janette (Rebel Wilson), who owns the local beauty salon, hilariously named Curl Up N Dye, they act as the villains of the story, destined to keep Taylah from getting a date for the Deb and sending Maeve back to the city.
It is worth noting that this film is the final performance from the late great Julian McMahon who plays the Prime Minister of Australia, in a hilarious and memorable moment that is perfect for his legacy.
Where The Deb truly shines is in its masterful blend of the dry, rugged Australian outback with the slick, modern energy of contemporary pop musicals. The juxtaposition of rural farm life with high-budget, Broadway-ready choreography (courtesy of veteran choreographer Rob Ashford) creates a wholly unique visual and auditory experience. You can clearly see Wilson pulling on her experience from her 2008 musical TV show Bogan Pride in these numbers, and it truly shows her eye for detail, and the humour in these moments resonates.
The songs are genuine earworms. The film wastes no time setting the tone with an uproarious, vulgar, and incredibly catchy opening number titled “FML” (F**k My Life), which is bound to be a social media template any day now. From there, the soundtrack only gets better, serving up infectious ensemble pieces like “Wildfire” and massive power ballads like “In the Spotlight,” which perfectly showcases the stellar vocal chops of both MacInnes and Abbott. When everything comes to a head at the end of the film, the anthem “Pretty Strong” is the perfect way to end the film with a groundswelling moment that is a memorable message for this story.
For her first time in the director’s chair, Rebel Wilson displays a sharp eye for musical staging and a deep love for her Australia’s cinematic roots. She knows exactly what kind of entertainment she is serving up, leaning hard into the camp and the colour, while leaning on her previous experience in both local and international productions. You can see the influences of her early projects like Bogan Pride and Fat Pizza, while infusing it with the Hollywood hits like Pitch Perfect.
While she also pulls double duty by starring as Janette, the overbearing local salon owner and mother to the lead mean gir, the film is really anchored by its dazzling young cast. Wilson’s signature brand of offbeat, hilariously inappropriate and improvisational style humour is sprinkled generously throughout the script, ensuring the comedy hits hard while never losing sight of the film’s uplifting emotional core. It is exactly the kind of rousing, traditional barn-burner that turns young actors into massive stars.
The Deb might occasionally buckle slightly under the weight of its own sheer exuberance, but its heart, humour, and incredible soundtrack make it impossible not to love. It’s a fantastic, toe-tapping addition to the Aussie comedy canon and a triumphant first feature for Wilson as a director. It has been a decade since our last local musical (The Sapphires), it was refreshing to get an Aussie musical comedy that hit all the high notes and introduced a new generation to Australian musical comedies. The Deb is destined to become a legacy in the style of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel’s Wedding.
The Deb is showing in cinemas now.
