REVIEW: Tick, Tick…Boom!

Let’s get right to it: This film is a moving, powerful story about the many ways a dream can consume a person and create rifts in other aspects of their life. In this case, that person is Jonathan Larson (Garfield), best known for the hit Broadway show Rent, and how the pursuit of finding a home for his early musical work interrupted his relationships, his livelihood and his creative process ahead of his 30th birthday.

Director Lin Manuel Miranda brings Larson’s story to life in a visceral and relatable way—without dismissing the flaws and setbacks. Its an honest and accurate adaptation of the source material (Larson’s musical of the same name), examining the follies and trials from his own perspective.

Garfield is absolutely stellar as Larson, giving his best performance since Hacksaw Ridge—albeit in a far different role, of course. And, spoiler alert: He can sing! More importantly, Larson’s complexity and stress feel so grounded and understandable when you see Garfield on the screen. In many ways, it’s a damn shame that speculation about Garfield’s *possible* role in the next Spider-Man movie has distracted from what may be an all-time career performance by the actor.

Every single person in this movie brought something unique and admirable to their respective role, and you can’t say that all too often about a film. Robin de Jesús delivers with a raw and emotional portrayal of Larson’s longtime friend Michael. Alexandra Shipp, who portrays Larson’s girlfriend Susan, also shines, along with Vanessa Hudgens.

This story is told in a cinematically compelling way that envelopes you in the story, inclusive of the moments that are uncomfortable and a few songs that don’t always hit the mark. But those are the truths of Larson, the real man. The film embraces who he was and what he felt—what he wrote, too—even if it wasn’t perfect. That adds to the story.

This is so far my favorite movie of the year. t’s a terrific blend of the musical and drama genres.

The bottom line: Those who like musicals should enjoy this, but those with an adoration for … strong acting performances and compelling stories [will] appreciate it, as well. 10/10