Jonathan Larson was 30 years old when he died. He wrote tick, tick… BOOM! to mark the moment. The film, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, turns that musical into a drama about a man running out of time. It is a story about ambition, friendship, and the noise in your head that will not stop. It is also a film about how a man named Andrew Garfield turns that noise into a performance that critics cannot stop talking about.
Trailer, via Netflix.
Larson’s Clock
The film is set in 1992, just before Larson’s 30th birthday. He works at the Moondance Diner in SoHo, writing a musical called Superbia while taking care of his ailing mother, Nan. He has a girlfriend, Susan, and a best friend, Michael, who left theater for an advertising job. His birthday is approaching, and the film treats the number 30 as a deadline. Larson performs a rock monologue of the same name at New York Theatre Workshop, where friends Roger and Karessa join him on stage. The narrator explains that the story is true — except for the parts Larson made up.
That framing matters. Larson is not a biopic. He is a character in his own story, telling it to us as he tells it to himself. The film keeps the audience inside his head, watching him juggle a diner job, a dying mother, and a musical he cannot finish. He hears a ticking noise in his head throughout, a constant reminder that time is not an abstraction. It is a clock he can feel.
Garfield’s Performance
Andrew Garfield plays Larson, and the performance is the engine of the film. He carries the story through monologues, songs, and scenes of ordinary life. Larson’s anxiety is not a plot device. It is a character trait, and Garfield plays it with a physical tensity that never lets up. His eyes dart, his hands twitch, and his voice cracks when he sings. It is a demanding role, and Garfield does not ease it. He makes Larson’s fear of failure feel lived-in, not performed.
The film also gives Larson a layered relationship with Michael, played by Robin de Jesús. Michael quit acting for a lucrative advertising career, and he invites Larson to join a focus group at his company. This offer puts Larson in a bind. Susan, his girlfriend, wants him to leave New York and teach at Jacob’s Pillow. The film’s title comes from Larson’s own monologue, which he performs at the start and returns to at the end. The song is a plea for time, and Garfield’s performance makes you feel what that plea means.
The Ensemble Around Him
The cast is full of talent, and the film uses them well. Alexandra Shipp plays Susan, the girlfriend who anchors Larson’s personal life. Robin de Jesús plays Michael, the friend who left theater for money. Vanessa Hudgens plays Karessa, a performer in Superbia and the monologue. Joshua Henry plays Roger Bart, another performer in the show. Judith Light plays Rosa Stevens, Larson’s agent. Bradley Whitford plays Stephen Sondheim, whose answering machine message near the end of the film is the film’s final touch.
Laura Benanti plays Judy Wright, the head of the advertising focus group. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez plays Carolyn, a fellow waitress at the Moondance Diner. Ben Levi Ross plays Freddy, a fellow waiter who is HIV-positive. The film uses these characters to show Larson’s social circle, and it does not waste them. Each gets a moment that lands.
The Pressure of the Workshop
The film’s central tension is Larson’s deadline. He sees his 30th birthday as his last chance to be successful. The film follows him through the months leading up to that date, showing how he juggles his diner job, his mother’s care, and his writing. He has a party at home with friends, including his former roommate Michael, his girlfriend Susan, and fellow waiters Freddy and Carolyn. Susan tells him about the Jacob’s Pillow teaching job, and Michael invites him to the focus group.
The film also shows the creative pressure on Larson. His producer, Ira Weitzman, asks him to write a new song for Superbia because the story needs it. This troubles Larson, since his idol, Stephen Sondheim, told him the same thing at a composing workshop years before. Larson cannot come up with anything, and he only has a week. The film shows his anxieties over the workshop and Michael and Susan’s offers, compounded when Carolyn tells him that Freddy, who is HIV-positive, has been hospitalized.
The Run of the Film
The film was released in November 2021. It had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 10, began a limited theatrical release two days later, and streamed on Netflix on November 19. The film received positive reviews for Garfield’s performance, the editing, and Miranda’s direction. It was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, Best Picture at the 27th Critics’ Choice Awards, and Best Film Editing at the 94th Academy Awards.
Garfield won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor, and the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. The film’s reception was strong, and the nominations followed.
Where the Film Falls Short
The film is not perfect. Some scenes feel padded, and the focus group scenes could have been cut without losing anything. The film also leans on its monologues, which can feel like a break from the story. It is a film about a man’s anxiety, and sometimes the pacing of the film matches that anxiety. The film’s title is a question, and the film does answer it.
The film’s cast is strong, but the focus on Garfield is noticeable. Some critics felt the film could have given more weight to the ensemble. The film’s editing is praised, but it does not always keep the story moving at a steady pace. These are minor complaints against a film that is otherwise focused and effective.
Our Verdict
tick, tick… BOOM! is a film about a man who wrote a musical about a man who wrote a musical. It is a film about the pressure to make something great before time runs out. It is also a film about a performance that Garfield delivers with a level of commitment that few actors reach.
The film is a reminder that the best art comes from people who are willing to fail. Larson failed, and the film shows it. It is not a story about a success. It is a story about a man who wanted to do something great before the clock ran out.
The film is worth seeing. It will make you feel the weight of Larson’s anxiety, and it will make you feel the weight of his ambition. It is a film that lives inside its own tension, and it never lets up.
Here is the release schedule for the film:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 10, 2021 | World premiere at AFI Fest |
| November 12, 2021 | Limited theatrical release |
| November 19, 2021 | Streaming on Netflix |
The film was released in a single wave, with the premiere at AFI Fest leading into a limited theatrical run before streaming on Netflix. The film’s release was steady, and its reception was strong.
Our score is 7.4 out of 10.
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