Tick tick..Boom holds up. Released in 2021 and directed by Lin Manuel Miranda this adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s play is something special. Featuring a tour de force performance from Andrew Garfield, it leaps and soars with agility carrying audiences alongside in a story with some serious social commentary. Adept at dissecting the creative process and grounded by Garfield in a role that garnered him an Oscar nomination, Tick, tick..Boom rarely stopped accelerating. Slick and stylish without coming across all Oscar and Hammerstein, Garfield is ably supported by an endearing cast of supporting players including Robin de Jesus and Alexandra Shipp. This Netflix original comes with a conscience, celebrates a composer who passed away before Rent, which he wrote even premiered and simply feels vibrant from the opening frame.
Courtesy of Netflix
Lin Manuel Miranda may have gone on to write and direct In the Heights, but something about this Cabaret infused rags to riches tale hits differently. That sense of time and place bleeds between the cracks and injects every moment with an unrelenting melancholy. Set pieces have a flash mob mentality and spill out into scenes without warning, giving this film an unpredictable edge. Robin de Jesus almost steals the show as Michael, Jonathan Larson’s best friend, while Bradley Whitford Jr gives his Stephen Sondheim performance some subtle touches. In many ways this adaptation is timeless, capturing a theatrical impresario on the cusp of greatness. Crippled by creative stasis and always inches away from his big break, Andrew Garfield captures that insecurity, as well as reveling in Larson’s unpredictable process.
Courtesy of Netflix
That Miranda has managed to capture the stream of consciousness which encapsulates his creativity on screen comes Garfield’s collaboration. There is a level of commitment coming through this performance that says a great deal about the actor. Over the years in a variety of roles for directors including Mel Gibson and Martin Scorsese, this latter-day Spiderman has come into his own. Showing up to deliver astonishing work through a kaleidoscope of individual characters many would be hard pushed to match. In Tick, tick..Boom that talent engulfs everything, resurrecting a theatrical icon who remains unappreciated. Frenetic, flirtatious, and ever so slightly improvised in the moment – this is an unbridled rebel yell for Larson channelled by a boldly brazen performance.
Tick,tick..Boom is streaming on Netflix now.