Tick, Tick... BOOM! (2021) - Andrew Garfield delights in hyper-active musical!

While the world has spent their time pestering him about the numerous Spider-Man rumours, Andrew Garfield has recently teamed up with the likes of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Vanessa Hudgens for Netflix's latest musical offering, focused around the late Jonathan Larson. Not knowing anything about the real life person or any of the shows he wrote, I wasn't sure how I would react to Tick, Tick... BOOM. I didn't initially see Garfield as being right for the musical scene, but it's delightful to have this point proven wrong.

Garfield brings a level of energy that was so pleasing to see. This musical is brimming with a level of cheesy energy that is impossible not to love. And a vast majority of that comes from Garfield, and the fantastic performance he gives as this heightened version of Larson. It's stated at the start that the majority of this story, which originates from a show that Larson wrote, is based mostly on the truth, except when exaggerated by the writer. And ultimately, acknowledging that not only establishes the level of reality for the audience, but also helps establish Larson as a more heightened version of the real person. I was also dumbfounded by how good Garfield was as a singer. Each moment he's on screen, he is embracing the material, and giving the best performance he can. It would be a crying shame if he is not given the praise and recognition for this, as he is truly one of Hollywood's finest performers.

Many people will recognise Vanessa Hudgens from her teenage Disney days, but it's great to see her still demonstrating some incredible acting skills, and that her singing skills have not gone un-noticed. She may not be everyone's first choice for a role, but it's safe to say that she really gives her all to this role. She doesn't get a lot to do, and is mostly focused around musical numbers, but she is still effortlessly charming in the moments of dialogue she gets. And when she performs her musical numbers, she PERFORMS them! Just watch her and Garfield perform the song, Therapy, and you will see how much energy she has to offer. More directors need to give actresses like her a chance to shine!

Broadway legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda takes the controls of this film for his film directorial debut, and he does a superb job out of the gate. And he doesn't fall back on his work with Hamilton to show off his talents. He lets the music do the work for him, and has the actions and choreography back up the music, instead of overshadowing it. My only small comment is the black of proper colour values in the darker scenes. Because this film has been shot digitally, the darker scenes struggle to have areas of light and dark properly identified within the shots. It can look a little flat, which is a shame, as the brightly lit scenes look incredible! This is sadly becoming common as more films get shot digitally, the artists who are colour-grading these digital films need to really consider these light and dark values more.

This film isn't just a hyper-active retelling of a real person's life, it has a lot of commentary to say on the stresses of reaching your goals, but also the context of the HIV crisis that Americans were facing in the time that this is set. It doesn't hide away from talking about how this affected so many people at the time, and the heartbreaking outcomes that many people had to suffer. Garfield's rendition of Why really shows the tragedy of losing someone, but clinging onto the memories you treasure with them. The focus on Larson's stress about reaching his goals by a certain point in his life is something that many people will relate to. It's so easy to find yourself pressured to meet a deadline for your career, or find yourself comparing yourself to those doing things before you. I, myself, am a victim of doing this. Seeing Garfield demonstrate this stress in Larson gives people a chance to reflect on making sure that they are happy and enjoying their life first and foremost, rather than chasing a goal that sometimes needs to take it's time.

There is a small handful of nitpicks I have about this film, but they thankfully don't ruin the experience of watching the film. One or two of the musical numbers weren't winners in my eyes, and in the case of Play Game, that song took me completely out of the narrative. I also feel the decision to acknowledge Larson's death at the very start of the film actually hinders the emotional beats of the film. Had they held off on telling the audience about the fact that Larson died just before his biggest success, it would've been more of an emotional gut punch at the end. But as it stands, these are small nitpicks that only take up my attention for a very brief period of time.

Overall, Tick, Tick... BOOM is a lively and provoking look at the life of someone who never got to truly show the world his talents. But because of productions like this, the legacy of Jonathan Larson won't completely go away. Rent continues to be a success in the theatre scene, and with this film garnering a lot of attention, I can see more interest coming for Larson's limited portfolio. The music sells the emotional beats, from 30/90 to Louder Than Words, this film is a brilliant combination of musical fun, and thought provoking emotions!

SCORES

Story - 4.5/5

Characters - 5/5

Production - 4.5/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 4.5/5

TOTAL - 9.4/10