You can’t help but think of the tragedy of Larson as you watch the film, but at the same time, you feel joy because of what he was able to do in his short lifetime. It took me two nights to watch and about two weeks to get over. I decided to watch this film in the early days of the new year after a good friend of mine expressed his enthusiasm for how great it was.

It is essentially a musical within a musical, but that concept doesn’t really hit you until the end. We even get to hear some songs from Superbia. The interesting aspect of this musical is that we are watching the past (when he was writing Superbia) and yet that past is made into a musical ( Tick, Tick….Boom). It is a deeply profound piece and beautifully directed by Miranda. All of these themes are accompanied by a heartfelt soundtrack. Some other themes highlighted are writer’s block and the mental stress that puts on a writer, living in New York and its struggles, fears of turning 30, and the AIDS crisis. The film highlights some of his important relationships at that time and how his consumption with his budding career affects those relationships. In the process of all of this, he is constantly reminded of what’s important in life. He sees potential in Larson and that’s where I believe his story as a writer truly begins. Within the film, he tries to get the musical noticed and it goes through a workshop process where he crosses paths with the great Stephen Sondheim. The film documents Larson’s life and writing process for his musical called, Superbia, which preceded Tick, Tick….Boom.

Larson is brilliantly portrayed by Andrew Garfield and I believe he will sweep every awards show this year for his performance. The film is directed by the amazing Lin Manuel Miranda, this being his first film that he’s directed. To say that it was life-changing for me to watch is an understatement and I know that so many other people will agree. If you’re a lover of theater and haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend that you do. We are reminded of his story in the new film adaptation of his autobiographical musical, Tick, Tick….Boom which was released on Netflix in November of 2021.

When it comes to contemporary musical theater, nobody dominated the stage quite like Jonathon Larson in the early 1990s.

Rent jonathan larson summary