15 supremely cinematic music videos that could (and should) be feature films

“Telephone” – Lady Gaga (Feat. Beyoncé)

Lady Gaga proved early on in her career that she was a force to be reckoned with. With her music video “Paparazzi” in 2009, she showed us that she wasn’t just a pop star who wanted to dance and party in her music videos. The Jonas Akerlund-directed feature had a storyline about the rise and fall of fame and how fickle it can be. Gaga collaborated with Akerlund again for “Telephone” featuring Beyoncé the following year, and this time she basically gave us a mini-movie and left fans wanting more.

The video opened with Gaga being brought to jail by two guards, stripped down, and left in her cell. Gaga then shows all the prison gals who’s the boss in the prison yard when she — in cigarette sunglasses — starts making out with one of the inmates. Later, they announce that she has a call from Beyoncé (totally casual) as she watches a fight.

It’s almost a full three minutes before the song comes in, and the video itself runs a total of nine and a half minutes. We get a dance break of Gaga in her studded bra and panties dancing through the jail cell before Bey herself comes to bail her out. The two head to a diner, where Beyoncé meets with her skeevy boyfriend (played by Tyrese), and Gaga gets to work in the kitchen making him a poisoned meal. We love a multi-talented queen!

After the duo poison the entire diner, they stop for an iconic dance break in patriotic costumes then drive off into the desert together in the P*ssy Wagon, vowing to never go back. The video ends with “to be continued,” and fans have been demanding the sequel ever since, even 10 years later.