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Tick, Tick...BOOM! Early Buzz Has Overwhelming Love For Lin-Manuel Miranda's Jonathan Larson Tribute

Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick...Boom! Imagine Entertainment
By Anya Stanley

When "Tick, Tick...BOOM!" was announced, everyone and their mother had an opinion about Lin-Manuel Miranda's tribute to "Rent" creator Jonathan Larson. I didn't; I am an outside observer who was friends with the theater kids but wasn't one herself. If you heard me sing or watched me dance, you'd know I'm better off in the audience, anyway. The last new musical I watched was "Anna and the Apocalypse," and that was a film festival screening I went into with no information. 

I would say that the film looks great, but that seems too mild a sentiment for a subject so profound and beloved by many. The film currently sits at 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, but everyone knows that the aggregate site isn't the only buzz indicator around — nothing beats good old word of mouth, and people have plenty to say. 

Are your preconceived verdicts aligned with the majority? Scroll down to find the popular tweet to repost as your "See? I was right!" confirmation, or simply to find out what the word on the street is. We don't judge here.

"It's the Greatest Thing Since Rent"

The Cast of Tick, Tick...Boom! on Netflix Imagine Entertainment

Starting from home base, /Film's own Shania Russell can only find the movie's sincerity as a slight negative, and even then it's actually a positive.

Several tweets indicate that the film spends much of its runtime tugging at the heartstrings, so have your tissues at the ready.

Evidently, Lin-Manuel Miranda made a theater-kid-friendly movie. Who could have predicted?

Regardless of how folks feel about the film, the praise for Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson is unanimous so far.

The rest is all gravy, baby:

A Few Criticisms

Andrew Garfield exits a subway in Tick, Tick...Boom! Imagine Entertainment

There were so many positive takes that I had no choice but to lump the mixed and negative buzz together — that's its own vote of confidence in favor of "Tick, Tick...Boom!," isn't it? 

Tom O'Brien of Next Best Picture moves closer towards the middle of the opinion spectrum, with plenty of praise for performances but a slight beef with the connective tissue:

Let's end with the negative since there aren't many of them coming out the gate. Jack King was not a fan of the music in this musical, which is admittedly a dealbreaker for most. I get the sentiment, but calling something a "midnight movie" will always read as a complement to the work, not a drag. Because midnight movies rule.

"Tick, Tick...Boom" arrives in select theaters on November 12, 2021, before landing on Netflix on November 19, 2021.

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