Some music videos are fully formed cinematic universes waiting for someone in Hollywood to wise up and give them 90 minutes and a budget. Artists are already writing with film in mind, directors are storyboarding like it’s Sundance, and fans? We’ve been ready. If Barbie can go billion-dollar, surely these deserve at least a greenlight. Here are 15 music videos so rich in narrative, worldbuilding, and aesthetic ambition, they practically beg for a movie deal.
Billie Eilish – “bury a friend”
Eilish’s horror-noir mind palace of body horror and shadow creatures could easily anchor an A24 psychological thriller. Imagine Black Swan meets Get Out, but soundtracked entirely by synths and whispers.
Childish Gambino – “This Is America”
A razor-sharp commentary on race, distraction, and violence in America. The layered symbolism and shifting tone could carry a feature-length political satire or dystopian allegory—Jordan Peele, call your people.
The 1975 – “I’m In Love With You”
Shot like a monochrome musical dream, this video feels like La La Land with circus paint and awkward glances. The romantic tension and nostalgic whimsy scream for an indie rom-com treatment.
Beyoncé – “Haunted”
This Gothic fever dream from the BEYONCÉ visual album drips with haunted mansion intrigue, cults, and slow-burn tension. Think Eyes Wide Shut meets Suspiria, with Queen Bey as the final girl or the puppet master.
Doja Cat – “Attention”
A slick noir slow-burn where celebrity becomes a chase sequence, both literal and existential. Give this one the Requiem for a Dream lens and let Doja narrate fame’s fever dream from inside the belly of the beast.
Hozier – “Take Me to Church”
Already a short film in its own right, this story of forbidden love and violent repression could expand into a sweeping, tragic love story—one with teeth, fire, and a haunting score.
Harry Styles – “Adore You”
Boy befriends magical fish and becomes an island legend. It’s Wes Anderson meets The Shape of Water, with a little Monty Python absurdity for good measure. Why is this not already a quirky indie hit?
Rosalía – “SAOKO”
Neon, motorcycles, and a fiercely defiant energy—Rosalía’s gritty, hyperstylized vision would make for an explosive post-apocalyptic action flick. Think Mad Max: Reggaetón Road.
Florence + The Machine – “Big God”
Cinematic movement, spectral lighting, and ritualistic beauty. A surrealist dance-horror drama could bloom from this visual language, like The Cell but for spiritually conflicted poets.
Kendrick Lamar – “ELEMENT.”
Every shot is frame-worthy, drawn from street photography, fine art, and poetic realism. Kendrick’s visual vocabulary could power a coming-of-age film drenched in metaphor and West Coast grit.
FKA twigs – “Cellophane”
An emotionally devastating climb through a collapsing dreamspace. As a film, it’d be a body-bending exploration of vulnerability, like Black Swan meets Annihilation, with choreography as its weapon.
Rina Sawayama – “XS”
A dystopian shopping channel unravels into a slick critique of capitalism. Blow it up into a satirical sci-fi thriller about beauty, biotech, and the human cost of excess—The Menu with better outfits.
Tyler, The Creator – “EARFQUAKE”
Tyler’s pastel-colored chaos, emotional unravelling, and ‘50s variety show aesthetic deserves a dark comedy feature with him as a heartbreak clown who might just burn the set down.
Lady Gaga – “911”
An operatic crash into mental health and identity. It’s already structured like a short film, and with Gaga’s full commitment, this could evolve into a genre-bending psychological fantasy.
AJR – “World’s Smallest Violin”
A chaotic Rube Goldberg breakdown of performance pressure and generational angst. Picture this as an absurdist dramedy where a band races to finish one last show before their stage literally explodes.
Music videos are already mini-movies. All they need now is a script, a studio, and a few million dollars. Until then, we’ll keep watching these on repeat and dreaming up the trailers in our heads.