Andrew Garfield has won the Golden Globe for his performance as Jonathon Larson in Tick, Tick…Boom!. The movie tells the story of Jonathon Larson, the creator of the hit Broadway musical Rent. The movie follows Larson years before he ever made his hit musical, as he struggles to get producers to invest in him.

Tick, Tick… Boom! also follows Larson in his relationships and his life in New York. Throughout the movie the viewer comes to understand Larson and the experiences that eventually become the themes of the show Rent. The viewer comes to understand how close the show is to his real life, and just how personal it really is.

Tick, Tick… Boom! is also a musical directed by none other than one and only, Lin Manuel Miranda, creator of In The Heights and Hamilton. The songs throughout the show are all songs that Larson himself wrote for his own musicals, especially the musical that the movie is named after, “Tick, Tick… Boom!” Some of the songs include 30/90, Therapy, and Come To Your Senses. 

Andrew Garfield is not a big “musical theater person” and Tick, Tick… Boom! was his first musical. “I was aware of “Rent,” but to be honest, I wasn’t a big musical theater person. It was kind of new to me in lots of ways,” says Garfield in an interview with The Playlist. “I was really nervous about this film… I resisted giving it away because I loved this film. And I really, really love Jonathan Larson. I love Lin. It’s one of those strange, magical experiences that I wanted to keep very, very pure.”

This is Lin Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut, and he put in all his energy into making the movie as close and personal to Jonathon Larson as possible. “I interviewed his girlfriend, I interviewed his best friend, I interviewed his family, I interviewed the galaxy of colleagues and collaborators who told me the stories of Jonathan” says Miranda in an interview with Sky News. Many people who knew Larson in real life also appear in the movie.

Tick, Tick… Boom! currently holds an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 96% audience score. Jessica Derschowitz, critic at Entertainment Weekly, reports “Tick, Tick… Boom! is a totem for the thrills and trials of making art, with all the sacrifices and empathy it requires.”

Tick, Tick… Boom! is a great watch for musical nerds, and an emotional, inspiring story.