Mark Harris for Variety

Why is it that nearly every fictional movie that is about music, or set in a musical milieu, has to feel as phony as a $2 resale ticket?

Biopics like “Michael,” “Back to Black” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are their own unbelievable animals. But I’m talking about the wave of promising-sounding, mostly cringe-inducing dramas like “Mother Mary” (going into wide release this weekend) that give us fictionalized superstars who don’t come within 12 bars of passing the credibility test … not even when they’re played by actual pop superstars like the Weeknd and Charli xcx.

Why Are Hollywood's Pop Music Dramas So Phony? 'Mother Mary' Latest Dud