Tick, Tick ... Boom!

 Jonathan Larson died suddenly the night that his magnum opus rock opera, Rent, debuted on Off-Broadway. Before that, he sang about his life in another Off-Broadway piece, Tick, Tick ... Boom! That piece was revived and revised on Broadway in 2001 and revised once again for this Netflix film by writer Steven Levenson and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the latter in his film directorial debut.

The film frames Larson's (Andrew Garfield) story within a performance of the musical itself. It's 1990, and Jon is on the verge of turning 30. He has spent eight years writing a sci-fi musical, Superbia, while waiting tables for the Moondance Diner. Fortunately, Superbia is about to have its first workshop performance. No less than Stephen Sondheim (Bradly Whitford) sees some potential in it. Still, he notes that it lacks an 11 O'clock number for its female lead.

His artistic lifestyle alienates his girlfriend, Susan (Alexandra Shipp). A few friends succumb to AIDS. And there's no guarantee that Superbia will get officially produced. He might have to follow his friend, Michael (Robin de Jesus), into advertising. His life is stuck and he literally hears it ticking away. 

Anyone with an existential crisis or about to have one will find themselves in Jon's shoes. Garfield portrays him as a likable man on the verge of getting older. I can relate to his anxieties about aging. Not just because I'm an aspiring creative person but because I'm a person. His fear of dying before his time is absolutely morbid in hindsight. The film is a strong case of how, as Sondheim put it, art isn't easy. Speaking of which, while Whitford plays Sondheim in person and does it well, the newly deceased man voices himself in a voicemail.

There's plenty of good supporting players. Shipp and de Jesus play the friends Jon needs. When Jon and Susan break up, set to a surprisingly entertaining number, we understand her frustrations with his obsessive lifestyle. Michael reminds Jon that he needs to take some responsibility in his life even if it is a lackluster job. Judith Light, as Jon's agent Rosa Stevens, reminds him of Sondheim's aforementioned point. Miranda also populates a few numbers with Broadway icons such as Joel Grey, Stephen Schwartz, Rent alumnus Daphne Rubin-Vega and himself.

 Miranda's technical team adds some style to Jon's existential crisis. Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum's editing is appropriately hectic. It frequently goes back and forth between Jon's daily life and him on stage. We see him go into a focus group with Michael, youthfully optimistic, and then it hits us with how dull it is. Jon and Michael going to the latter's new penthouse suite is set to an energetic number. Another number is a striking day dream which ends with the Moonshine opens up. That scene is where most of the cameos come in. Larson's score, which I don't think I've heard till now, is just as memorable as Rent's. You'll feel the pressure when you hear the ticking. The sound design is that great.

One can take solace that Rent became a success despite Larson's early death. While the film opens and closes with that point, Tick, Tick ... Boom! is a stylishly resonant portrayal of Jon's existential crisis. The 121 minutes easily tick away as Jon comes to terms with life. The ending private birthday party gives him and Susan a nice resolution. It's ready to stream on Netlfix whenever you are. You'll hear the boom once it's over.