I am a lover of old music. Whether I am studying in the library to the tune of the Beatles or dancing around my kitchen to Dire Straits, the majority of my Spotify playlists are no current-day music. The soundtrack of my childhood was made up of my parents’ favorite bands and musicians: Bruce Springsteen would wake me up in the morning, and The Rolling Stones would accompany my family and I on our road trips. It was those bands and musicians that shaped my taste in music.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I nearly choked on my popcorn as the iconic voice of Freddie Mercury drifted through the theatre. Queen is a rock legend, and “Bohemian Rhapsody” remains the wildest song I have ever heard. But, I love it. And I knew I had to see the movie.

The film Bohemian Rhapsody begins by introducing us to Farrokh Bulsara, a man I do not believe very many people are familiar with. I wasn’t familiar with him. He was just a young man with a love of music, a unique sense of style and four extra teeth on his upper jaw. Farrokh was not born to a family of rock gods, but he became one. The world just never knew him as Farrokh— they knew him as Freddie Mercury.

Freddie is played by Rami Malek, who did an incredible job capturing Freddie’s spirit, his internal battle with his sexuality and his absolute magnetism upon the stage. Freddie’s wife, Mary, is played by Lucy Boynton, and the two of them shed a completely new light upon the life and love of Freddie Mercury. I had always known Freddie to be gay and was surprised when he and Mary carried on what was clearly a loving and devoted relationship. It became clear, however, as the movie progressed, that Freddie’s sexuality was much more complex. He loved Mary, but he was gay. He was torn apart by two different parts of himself, and I thought Malek and Boynton illustrated the heartbreak that came with this acceptance.

While the acting was excellent, I did find the cinematography slightly overpowering. The story of Queen was enough to keep the audience engaged, and while the lights, sounds and colors were all vibrant and exciting, it seemed a tad over the top. I would have preferred a glimpse into the reality of Queen, instead of another flash of the quintessential, endless parties. Furthermore, while the ending of the film seemed to emphasize the importance of the other members of Queen, the majority of the movie centered solely on Freddie Mercury. I do not think I could even tell you the names of the other band members. There seemed to be a slight hole when it came to the rest of the band, which I would have liked to see filled.

If you love Queen, you will love Bohemian Rhapsody. If you love music, you will appreciate the movie for the story of musical genius it tells. Any way the wind blows, it doesn’t really matter— this movie is worth your time.