Tick, Tick… Boom!: What Fans Are Saying About The Lin-Manuel Miranda-Led Musical

“Wait, Andrew Garfield can sing? What can’t he do?” Those are a couple of the questions that are floating around right now following the release of Tick, Tick… Boom! on Netflix. The musical, which is directed by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda, recently landed on the streaming service. It has, in fact, been getting some great buzz. Let’s get into what the fans are gushing about regarding the movie. 

Tick, Tick… Boom! Is an adaptation of a 2001 semi-autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson about his journey as a composer in New York City. The movie tells the story of the playwright behind Rent before he was known for Rent. It doubles as a tragic true story and thought-provoking tale about the life and complexities of being an artist.

The movie has received rave reviews from critics overall and audiences are also in agreement this time as well. But what about Tick, Tick… Boom! specifically is getting people talking? It’s time to break it down. 

Andrew Garfield Is Incredible As Jonathan Larson

One prominent thought that is pulsating through the internet is how good Andrew Garfield is as Jonathan Larson. The actor has been in the press a lot lately for rumors that he might be returning as Spider-Man, but now that people have seen Tick, Tick… Boom!, some people are a bit annoyed that it has dominated the conversation when this performance exists. 

The big conversation now is whether it may actually be Andrew Garfield’s year to win the high accolade of the Oscar for Best Actor. He was previously nominated in 2017 for Hacksaw Ridge and his chances are good for a nomination this year. 

If you’re wondering, it’s quite likely that Andrew Garfield will nab that Oscar nomination, but he has some hefty competition in the category. Will Smith, Benedict Cumberbatch and Denzel Washington are among the prestigious actors who may also score nominations. Outside of Oscar talk, Andrew Garfield’s performance is so spot-on that someone created a side-by-side video of Garfield and Larson performing the same song. Take a look: 

Amazing, right? Andrew Garfield truly embodied the role of the composer and must have seriously studied his movements and performance tons of times to achieve the result. 

Fans Are Impressed With Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Direction 

Aside from Andrew Garfield blowing our minds, Tick, Tick… Boom! is also the directorial debut for Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is well-known for crafting the stage musicals for In The Heights and Hamilton. As fans are checking out the movie, they are especially impressed about Miranda. 

I mean, he has created the most iconic musicals of our time, become a composer for Disney animation among many other things and he’s a good director? It wasn’t exactly for sure that this element of the medium would be Miranda’s thing, but he really does some exciting and creative things with Tick, Tick… Boom! 

I don’t have to tell you, but musicals are not easy to make. We’ve all seen it when it fundamentally does not work. Yet, Lin-Manuel Miranda understood the assignment. Apparently, Rent and Tick, Tick… Boom! have been transformative musicals for Miranda in his own work, so he’s always wanted to adapt it and he delivered. 

Wow, it’s even being called a “masterpiece.” Many people are also calling it among their favorite movies of the year. 

Fans Love The Broadway Easter Eggs 

Tick, Tick… Boom! is a show that is close to the Broadway community and due to that Lin-Manuel Miranda really involved them throughout the film. For those who are not tapped into the community, we may see backup dancers or extras, but to those who are keyed into that world, there’s a lot of beloved people to spot. Audiences had some fun spotting all of them as this tweet shows: 

Seriously, there are SO many. Almost every “extra” is someone in the Broadway world. Such as when Jonathan sings one of his songs for the workshop, a bunch of the people in the audience are composers and lyricists of musicals. The biggest moment to look for Easter Eggs are in the “Sunday” song number. They are literally everywhere. 

For fans of Hamilton, there's a quite obvious moment in the diner with Phillipa Soo and Renée Elise Goldsberry, aka the musical’s original Eliza and Angelica Schuyler. The actresses are even wearing the colors their characters wear as they hold their arms in the same way seen in the poster of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s most popular work. 

It’s a really fun element of Tick, Tick… Boom! that fans are really latching onto it as they watch it on Netflix. 

Tick, Tick… Boom! Is An Affecting Film 

Overall, people really love the movie because it speaks to so many themes that people in creative industries can relate to. That idea of trying to “make it” while also trying to make a living and tell the kinds of stories that will resonate with people. As one fan shared, it was made for “theatre lovers”: 

Tick, Tick… Boom! is a really affecting movie for many and it shows through the social media postings. Another person talked about how it touches on channeling one’s pain into music in a way that “hit really close.” He’s surely not alone in how he feels about the movie. 

I’ll close out with a short and sweet tweet that likely sums up how many of us took in the movie. I balled my eyes out obviously. 

Overall, there’s a lot people love about Tick, Tick... Boom! It’s available on Netflix if you’ve yet to see it. If this article hasn't convinced you the flick is your cup of tea, do check out what other movies are coming next with CinemaBlend’s 2021 new movie release schedule.