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On the brink of turning 30, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressure to create something great before time runs out.
What critics thought
Lin-Manuel Miranda's directing debut earned wide praise for centering Jonathan Larson's story with humility and specificity, with Andrew Garfield's musical performance and Robin de Jesús's breakout turn drawing particular attention. The main fault line in criticism runs through the documentary-style framing device, which even admirers felt reduced Larson to his most famous work, and through the film's treatment of the AIDS crisis — expansive compared to its source material, but still viewed through the lens of a straight man who survived it, a perspective critics found incomplete.
“a totem for the thrills and trials of making art, with all the sacrifices and empathy it requires”
Jessica Derschowitz·Entertainment Weekly
“despite Miranda's own personal connection to Larson's story, his direction seemed devoid of ego and purely focused on centering Larson”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“the film was stronger when the character was telling his story”
Jackson McHenry·Vulture
Accolades
Genres
Biography, Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Lin-Manuel MirandaDirector
Andrew GarfieldJonathan Larson
Alexandra ShippSusan Wilson
Robin de JesúsMichael
Michaela Jaé RodriguezCarolyn
Ben Levi RossFreddy
Jonathan Marc ShermanIra Weitzman
Vanessa HudgensKaressa Johnson
Joshua HenryRoger Bart
Bradley WhitfordStephen Sondheim
Judith LightRosa Stevens
Laura BenantiJudy
Danielle FerlandKim
Steven LevensonWriter
Alice BrooksCinematographytick, tick... BOOM!
On the brink of turning 30, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressure to create something great before time runs out.
What critics thought
Lin-Manuel Miranda's directing debut earned wide praise for centering Jonathan Larson's story with humility and specificity, with Andrew Garfield's musical performance and Robin de Jesús's breakout turn drawing particular attention. The main fault line in criticism runs through the documentary-style framing device, which even admirers felt reduced Larson to his most famous work, and through the film's treatment of the AIDS crisis — expansive compared to its source material, but still viewed through the lens of a straight man who survived it, a perspective critics found incomplete.
“a totem for the thrills and trials of making art, with all the sacrifices and empathy it requires”
Jessica Derschowitz·Entertainment Weekly
“despite Miranda's own personal connection to Larson's story, his direction seemed devoid of ego and purely focused on centering Larson”
Peter Debruge·Variety
“the film was stronger when the character was telling his story”
Jackson McHenry·Vulture
Accolades
Genres
Biography, Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Lin-Manuel MirandaDirectorAndrew GarfieldJonathan LarsonAlexandra ShippSusan WilsonRobin de JesúsMichaelMichaela Jaé RodriguezCarolynBen Levi RossFreddyJonathan Marc ShermanIra WeitzmanVanessa HudgensKaressa JohnsonJoshua HenryRoger BartBradley WhitfordStephen SondheimJudith LightRosa StevensLaura BenantiJudyDanielle FerlandKimSteven LevensonWriterAlice BrooksCinematographyStream