Tick, Tick…BOOM! Early Buzz Has Overwhelming Love For Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Jonathan Larson Tribute
When “Tick, Tick…BOOM!” was announced, everyone and their mother had an opinion about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tribute to “Rent” creator Jonathan Larson. I didn’t; I am an outside observer who was friends with the theater kids but wasn’t one herself. If you heard me sing or watched me dance, you’d know I’m better off in the audience, anyway. The last new musical I watched was “Anna and the Apocalypse,” and that was a film festival screening I went into with no information.
I would say that the film looks great, but that seems too mild a sentiment for a subject so profound and beloved by many. The film currently sits at 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, but everyone knows that the aggregate site isn’t the only buzz indicator around — nothing beats good old word of mouth, and people have plenty to say.
Are your preconceived verdicts aligned with the majority? Scroll down to find the popular tweet to repost as your “See? I was right!” confirmation, or simply to find out what the word on the street is. We don’t judge here.
“It’s the Greatest Thing Since Rent”
Starting from home base, /Film’s own Shania Russell can only find the movie’s sincerity as a slight negative, and even then it’s actually a positive.
Tick, Tick… Boom! made me swoon. A love letter to theater kids penned by theater kids and scored by a Broadway legend. Much like its director, this movie is all energy and enthusiasm! Being incredibly earnest may be its greatest flaw, but also doubles as a magical asset.
— shania, but spooky 👻 (@siriuslyshania)July 03, 2025
Several tweets indicate that the film spends much of its runtime tugging at the heartstrings, so have your tissues at the ready.
LOVED@Lin_Manuel’s#TickTickBoom. Never saw Andrew Garfield on screen tonight. Instead I witnessed Jonathan Larson come back to life for 2 hours.
I’ve still not gotten over Jonathan dying so young and with so much left to give. May have shed some tears in the dusty theater.pic.twitter.com/UyTuvq6QI9
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty)July 09, 2025
#TickTickBoomMovieis a moving love letter to passionate artists who’ve sacrificed for their art despite the odds. Andrew Garfield is terrific. Director Lin-Manuel Miranda demonstrates an assured, cinematic visual dexterity. The profundity of musical numbers shines.@ticktickboompic.twitter.com/MU3LZHLZyT
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle)July 02, 2025
Evidently, Lin-Manuel Miranda made a theater-kid-friendly movie. Who could have predicted?
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tick, tick…BOOM! is a stunner and the best musical of the year. Andrew Garfield has never been better, Robin de Jesus is perfect and the film is packed with theatrical legend cameos that will make you scream.#ticktickboom
— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch)August 08, 2025
TICK TICK BOOM is a love letter to theater, to artists, to writers, and to Gen X. And this Gen X theatre kid is SO HAPPY. Absolutely loved it and couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday. Andrew Garfield is FANTASTIC! Give Robin De Jesus a movie!#ticktickBOOMpic.twitter.com/TehRfLt0NS
— Yolanda Machado (@SassyMamainLA)August 01, 2025
Still can’t get over the audience reaction to tick, tick…BOOM! at AFI last night. Raucous and lit like a firecracker and popping off at the end of every musical number. One of the best theatrical experiences I’ve ever had.#ticktickboom#afifestpic.twitter.com/vHFkwTjt2a
Regardless of how folks feel about the film, the praise for Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson is unanimous so far.
A few people have asked me what Andrew Garfield’s “Oscar scene†is in#TickTickBoomand I’m just like “Lol, you mean EVERY scene?â€https://t.co/2RUp4fSPyLpic.twitter.com/7lBIKDrOXm
— Zach Gilbert @ AFI Fest (@zachbgilbert)August 18, 2025
#TickTickBoomis absolutely astounding! A beautiful ode to broadway & creatives. Andrew Garfield BECOMES Jonathan Larson delivering a powerhouse performance unlike anything I’ve ever seen from him before. He continues to cement himself as one of the great actors of our generationpic.twitter.com/91XuxSXq0n
— Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller)August 11, 2025
The rest is all gravy, baby:
Tick, tick…BOOM! is about a theater lover by a theater lover for a theater lover. A phenomenal film that takes you inside the mind of Jonathan Larson. Andrew Garfield delivers a tour-de-force performance & becomes Jonathan Larson. One of the best films of the year.#TickTickBoompic.twitter.com/mmtRL4Qzk7
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel)June 15, 2025
Andrew Garfield is so fucking good in Tick,Tick…Boom! that he transforms into Jonathan Larson without any sort of gimmick whatsoever. He legit put his hair up and became Jonathan Larson. I’m seriously blown away. This is a next level performance.#TickTickBoom#AndrewGarfieldpic.twitter.com/fRhSWWNc8u
Andrew Garfield gives the best performance of his career in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s#TickTickBoom, a mightily moving adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s musical that retains its source material’s sincere – but sobering – soulfulness.
Time to make some adjustments in Best Actor.pic.twitter.com/XAIeHA2b2V
Meet Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson in one of the best musicals of the year. And hello best actor race#TickTickBoom.#oscarspic.twitter.com/EzK04MVWJW
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt)July 13, 2025
Go see@Lin_Manuel’s Tick Tick… Boom!; a remarkably confident debut from that far too talented EG-T adjacent bastard. Especially loved the All That Jazz style editing, combining separate timelines into an dizzying whole. A perfect part for Andrew Garfield too. You will enjoy!
— edgarwright (@edgarwright)July 15, 2025
Andrew Garfield’s performance in the earnest and energetic Tick Tick Boom is spellbinding. Some of his best work to date. Also major props to Robin de Jesús who’s a heartbreaker in this.
Also SO many cameos in this for musical theater fans to enjoy.
— Will Mavity (@mavericksmovies)June 17, 2025
WOW!!@Lin_ManuelMiranda directed the hell out of#TickTickBOOM& it’s sensational! A powerful, rousing, life-affirming musical that truly honors#JonathanLarsonâ€"#AndrewGarfieldgives the Oscar-worthy performance of his career &#AlexandraShippis magnificent! SEE IT ASAP!pic.twitter.com/YSjwnTI1tN
— Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz)July 10, 2025
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s#TickTickBoomis marvelously assembled. Andrew Garfield’s Jonathan Larson is a wonder to behold. A songbird that stands as his best yet. Vanessa Hudgens and Robin de Jesus are lusciously rich. Alice Brooks is an angel on earth with a camera.@AFIFEST#Oscarspic.twitter.com/BuNaskFMbj
— Clayton Davis (@ByClaytonDavis)June 24, 2025
Lin-Manuel Miranda delivers a spectacular directorial debut with TICK, TICK… BOOM! A beautiful tribute to Jonathan Larson and the chaotic creative process behind his work. Andrew Garfield is sensational with a tour-de-force performance worthy of awards noms.#TickTickBoomMoviepic.twitter.com/dL1GaSHJY4
— Doug Jamieson (@itsdougjam)August 25, 2025
A Few Criticisms
There were so many positive takes that I had no choice but to lump the mixed and negative buzz together — that’s its own vote of confidence in favor of “Tick, Tick…Boom!,” isn’t it?
Tom O’Brien of Next Best Picture moves closer towards the middle of the opinion spectrum, with plenty of praise for performances but a slight beef with the connective tissue:
#AFIFESTReview; “tick, tick…BOOM!†has two great strengths going for it: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s visually assured direction & Andrew Garfield’s go-for-broke performance. The material doesn’t always connect, but Bradley Whitford makes a great Stephen Sondheim. (7/10)#TickTickBoompic.twitter.com/Ea6QKBAgVi
— Tom O’Brien @AFI FEST (@thomaseobrien)June 13, 2025
Let’s end with the negative since there aren’t many of them coming out the gate. Jack King was not a fan of the music in this musical, which is admittedly a dealbreaker for most. I get the sentiment, but calling something a “midnight movie” will always read as a complement to the work, not a drag. Because midnight movies rule.
TICK TICK BOOM is a perfect midnight movie in that it’s really quite bad, so tonally incoherent as to be pretty inadvertently funny, and our king Andrew Garfield â€" innocent!! â€" gives it absolutely everything
— Jack King (@jackarking)July 10, 2025
“Tick, Tick…Boom” arrives in select theaters on August 21, 2025, before landing on Netflix on July 21, 2025.
