For most, the name Jonathan Larson may not be entirely familiar, since he is mostly associated with the stage, having been the creative mind behind Rent, the cultural sensation that swept the world asunder and presented audiences with one of the most raw and visceral documents of the experience of simply being alive in a time and place being challenged by progress and the obstacles that every generation has to face when coming of age. It goes without saying that this text, which is centred on a group of young bohemian artists living in New York City, was drawn directly from Larson’s life – and nothing has made this more clear than tick, tick… BOOM!, his autobiographical one-man show that would later be turned into a large musical upon his untimely death, and has now been brought to the screen for a much wider audience. The person shepherding Larson’s story forward in this case is Lin-Manuel Miranda (in his feature-film directorial debut), who is an oddly fitting choice for the material – while perhaps not being associated directly with Larson as a person, Miranda is a similarly-acclaimed renaissance man of contemporary theatre, having been the force behind In the Heights and Hamilton, two of the biggest stage sensations of the past two decades. There is something about Larson’s life that resonates with any young artist, and drawing inspiration from the late writer and musician, Miranda manages to take the very raw tick, tick… BOOM!, and working with a gifted cast and a group of equally-talented collaborators behind the scenes, crafted a beautiful and poetic musical epic that dives deep into the life of its subject, whose own words form the foundation for this beautiful story, which is always pushing forward in favour of finding the truth behind every moment of artistic curiosity, as embodied by the main character and his tragically short but fascinating life.

tick, tick… BOOM! is an extremely personal work – it almost seems somewhat inappropriate that anyone other than Larson himself is at the helm, not because he is the only person with the right to tell his story, but since everything here is drawn from his own experiences, and having someone else facilitate his autobiographical narrative could be considered an obstacle in terms of the authenticity of the production. However, for obvious reasons Larson himself was never able to see this work produced, but that didn’t stop Miranda from doing whatever he could to bring his story to the screen, clearly feeling a strong kinship to a man whose journey resonates with anyone who has felt like they are young and directionless, lacking the foundation to succeed. For artists, the world is a hostile place – it’s an environment where practical skills are always favoured, and anyone doing something even vaguely abstract is considered as dabbling in trivialities. Larson was radically different – while his words display a keen awareness for the brutal machinations of a world that is often very cruel, he had a deep passion for his craft, failing to envision a life for himself outside the confines of his own mind, which was a limitless oasis of imaginative stories. tick, tick… BOOM! takes place over a few days, which are mainly spent preparing for a workshop production of a new musical he has spent nearly a decade writing, and which culminates on his 30th birthday, an enormous milestone that Larson considered less of a cause for celebration, and more as an alarming wake-up call to start getting his life in motion, or fear withering away into obscurity before even coming close to success. It’s a feeling that many feel all too well – the perpetual refrain of “I turn 30 next week” becomes increasingly bleak with every mention, as it starts to reveal deeper truths about Larson’s psychological state, which was not many any easier by the challenges he faced along the way.

Each line of dialogue or glorious song is drawn directly from Larson’s own words, which form the foundation for this strikingly beautiful film that is constantly using the platform for a purpose broader than Larson’s own original production, which was never intent on being a vanity project in how it is essentially a series of narrations surrounding his experiences as a young playwright and composer struggling to break through into an industry he has long admired. tick, tick… BOOM! is a brutally beautiful elegy to the human condition, as filtered through the lens of a tale of the trials and tribulations of the artistic process. This story is as much Larson’s autobiography as it is his self-help manual, two hours of wisdom imparted by someone who may have died young, but saw corners of the industry that many never come close to experiencing – and he condenses it all into this stunningly beautiful work that pays tribute to the creative process. Not everyone is hardwired to be an artist – and for the few that are gifted with the gift to create, it can be a daunting process. Larson knew this all too well, and while he didn’t have the answers, nor even being able to describe what success felt like (having tragically died the day before the first public showing of Rent in 1996), he did understand the importance of ignoring the inner saboteur, and embracing the glorious unknown, a place where anything is possible until it isn’t, which is something that most artists experience at some point in their career, some of them being able to work their way out of it, others sadly never being able to achieve their aspirations. Being artistic is not always as easy as it would appear, since creation takes effort, courage and tenacity, all of which can easily be found in Larson’s journey as he navigates the hostile world that surrounds him, constantly questioning his skills, not only as an artist, but as a functional member of society.

One of the benefits of being considered something of a wunderkind in a particular community is that it is extremely easy to make connections – and Miranda certainly does not hesitate to call in favours from several members of the Broadway (and adjacent) community, many of whom lend their talents and familiar presences to small roles in tick, tick… BOOM!, and thus contribute to the director’s efforts to expand Larson’s beautiful story into the outside world. At the heart of the film, nestled amongst the myriad of seasoned veterans, is Andrew Garfield, who continues to gradually transform into one of the finest actors of his generation, the kind of performer who is a deft combination of leading star and character actor, being able to command the screen playing complex, nuanced individuals that require the actor to take several risks, or else fail to capture the spirit of the character. Playing the role of Larson himself was undoubtedly a daunting task, and required Garfield to dig deep into his arsenal of talents, pulling out all the most essential components that made Larson such an interesting individual, while still drawing on his own personal interpretation of the writer’s work, since there were a fair share of artistic liberties taken in Larson’s own retelling of his life, even if only slightly. Appearances from a wide range of other actors help enrichen the film – Judith Light, Alexandra Shipp and Bradley Whitford (playing the messiah of musical theatre in the form of his scarily accurate Stephen Sondheim impression) are all fantastic in supporting role, but the heart of the film (outside of Garfield) is Robin de Jesús, who has been working for years on stage and screen, to only marginal acclaim, despite possessing some of the most raw, unfiltered talent to be seen in any medium. Ultimately, tick, tick… BOOM! is a showcase for its actors, and Miranda uses both his resourcefulness in assembling a strong cast, and his skilful vision to make sure that each one of his actors is used properly, each one given something memorable to do that helps shade in the nuances of this beautiful film.

tick, tick… BOOM! is incredibly rich and evocative, but also deeply sad, and Larson’s metaphysical ponderings form the basis of this effective and constructive musical. Like the original stage production, this film takes the form of a work-in-progress, oscillating between Larson discussing his life and artistic process (whether through dialogue or song), and glimpses into his everyday routine and the challenges he encounters along the way. It helps the film capture that same intensely personal quality, almost as if we are watching Larson himself on screen (Garfield is truly convincing in the part), and gives it a very subversive quality, being both a fully-formed musical in its own right, while still gradually deconstructing the format and looking beneath the exterior into the processes that go into mounting even the most simple of productions, going from the conceptual stage to the final execution. Undeniably, tick, tick… BOOM! tells an extremely tragic story that isn’t always particularly pleasant, especially considering we’re consistently reminded of the fact that Larson was working towards an incredibly successful production that he himself would never be able to see first-hand, having put all his effort into making a masterpiece, but meeting his tragic demise before he had the opportunity to feel the success of being an acclaimed artist. However, there is always joy beneath even the most upsetting scenarios, and Miranda makes sure to focus on the beautiful journey Larson undergoes, looking at the people he encounters, the places he visits and the events he experiences, all of which are woven together, forming the solid foundation of this heartbreakingly beautiful but also consistently interesting ode to artistry in its various forms.