Tick, Tick… BOOM! was originally written by Jonathon Larson (creator of RENT). The film version of it came out November 12, 2021, exclusively on Netflix.
The film follows Jon’s (Andrew Garfield) life (except the parts he made up) trying to produce his first musical Superbia on the edge of his 30th birthday. The opening song “30/90” sets the setting immediately by explaining where his life is now and where he thinks he’s headed. This catchy, upbeat tune has been stuck in my head since watching the musical.
The musical itself has Jonathan performing it for an audience with his band and backup singers, as well as the actual production of it following the story. The movie flips back and forth between the two stages beautifully when narration is necessary and adds a lot to the film overall.
Aside from watching Jonathan grapple with turning 30, he is also trying to compose the final song for the main character of Superbia. Eventually, after nearly everything in his life seems to be falling apart, he writes “Come to Your Senses.” In the movie, it’s a duet between Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens) and Susan (Alexandra Shipp), who plays Jonathan’s girlfriend. The couples experience their own storyline of Susan wanting to move upstate and relocate for her career. In this scene, Jon sees Susan sing the song because not only does it represent what the character in Superbia is experiencing, it also touches on the situation between Jon and Susan. “Come to Your Senses,” therefore, holds a duality with both productions. The song holds depth and meaning that become the turning point for not only Superbia, but Tick, Tick… BOOM!
This musical, much like RENT, is set amidst the AIDS crisis. The audience sees how this affects Jon and his friends throughout the story. Jon struggles with living a meaningful life while many of his friends, like Michael (Robin de Jesús), cannot since he’s a gay man living through this.
For viewers who have seen RENT, they’ll be quick to tie together connections and inspiration between the two musicals. For those who haven’t seen RENT, they will still enjoy Tick, Tick… BOOM! as it captures a moment in time but still sends the universal message of being 30 and figuring out what to do with your life.
This musical is a journey and when an audience is done riding the ride they’ll be able to look back and soak in just how wonderful the musical was. Plus, it’s directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda!
Overall, if you haven’t watched Tick, Tick… BOOM! this is your sign to “Come to Your Senses” and do it.