---
title: "tick, tick... BOOM!: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/tick-tick-boom/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/tick-tick-boom"
critics_score: 68
critics_reviews: 27
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# tick, tick... BOOM! (2021): what the critics said

Critics' score 68 from 27 reviews: 19 positive, 5 mixed, 3 negative.

Most critics like it, and almost all of them like it for the same reason: Andrew Garfield. Review after review calls his Jonathan Larson the film’s centre, praising the energy, warmth and visible exhaustion he brings to a needy, charming composer. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s direction draws a second, quieter round of approval for its affection, its inventive staging of the songs and its fondness for the theatre world Larson worked in. Ensemble numbers such as “Sunday” and the pool-to-score shot are picked out more than once.

The reservations are about shape rather than spirit. Several reviews find the songs uneven and the storytelling hurried, with serious moments, and the AIDS crisis in particular, handled clumsily or too briefly. Others think the tribute tips into hagiography. The spread is wide for a film this well liked. The New Yorker stands almost alone in faulting Garfield’s singing as the emotional weak point, and Eye for Film goes further, calling the performance heavily mannered and the film slick comfort viewing.

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 November 2021. 

Chang praises the film as an intimate, affectionate tribute to Jonathan Larson and finds Miranda’s direction skillful and energetic. He singles out Andrew Garfield’s compelling performance and the film’s lively blend of theatrical and cinematic forms.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-12/tick-tick-boom-review-andrew-garfield-lin-manuel-miranda)

## The AV Club — Caroline Siede

Rating B+. 12 November 2021. 

The review is positive, finding the film a fitting tribute to artistic creation despite uneven songs and a clumsy attempt to engage with the AIDS crisis. It especially praises Andrew Garfield’s fully embodied, charismatic performance as Jonathan Larson.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/andrew-garfield-shines-as-the-creator-of-rent-in-the-ne-1848045241)

## Time Out — Helen O’Hara

Rating 4/5. 12 November 2021. 

The review is positive, describing the musical as a showcase for Andrew Garfield. It singles out his performance as the film’s standout strength.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/tick-tick-boom-2021)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film a personal, energetic tribute to Larson and his creative struggle. He praises Miranda’s playful handling of the songs and theater-world details, while noting that much of the music is not Larson’s best.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/tick-tick-boom-review-lin-manuel-miranda-andrew-garfield-1235109942/)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. 

Freer finds the film an affectionate but flawed celebration of musical theatre and creativity. He praises its emotional final act and several songs, while faulting some repetitive numbers and Miranda’s limited cinematic flair.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tick-tick-boom/)

## IndieWire — Steve Greene

Rating B-. 11 November 2021. 

Greene finds the adaptation uneven, with high points undermined by weaker stretches and a tendency to circle around its ideas. He praises Andrew Garfield’s charismatic portrayal of Larson, while faulting the film’s tonal drift and haziness about the creative process.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/tick-tick-boom-review-netflix-1234678900/)

## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. 

Halligan’s framing is positive, presenting the film as an effective showcase. She singles out Andrew Garfield’s performance, though the review body is inaccessible.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/tick-tickboom-review/5165024.article)

## Sight and Sound — BFI

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2021. 

The review finds Miranda’s tribute to Larson devastating and exuberant despite some missteps. It praises Andrew Garfield’s transfixing, well-pitched performance, while criticizing the overuse of cameos and the treatment of the AIDS epidemic.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/tick-tick-boom-proves-moving-tribute-composer-jonathan-larson)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. 

Bradshaw finds the film a heartfelt, exuberant tribute to Broadway, despite its bittersweet view of Larson’s ambitions. He praises Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of the needy, charming, and increasingly exhausted composer.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/nov/11/tick-tick-boom-review-andrew-garfield-jonathan-larson-lin-manuel-miranda)

## The i Paper — Francesca Steele

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. 

Steele finds the film a kinetic, intimate and clever tribute, despite occasional muddiness from its self-referential structure. She particularly praises Andrew Garfield’s performance and the musical number “Therapy.”

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/tick-tick-boom-review-andrew-garfield-is-delightful-in-lin-manuel-mirandas-love-letter-to-musicals-1295356)

## Vulture — Jackson McHenry

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2021. 

The critic finds the adaptation poignant and fascinating, though at times overly hagiographic and incomplete in its treatment of Larson’s legacy. They single out Andrew Garfield’s vivid performance and the moving sense of musical theater’s future written over its past.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2021/11/movie-review-lin-manuel-mirandas-tick-tickboom.html)

## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. 

The review describes the film as entertaining but imperfect. It singles out Andrew Garfield’s performance as terrific.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/tick-tick-boom-review-netflix/)

## Slant Magazine — Dan Rubins

Rating 2.5/4. 18 November 2021. 

The review finds the film gently undone by its competing aims of intimate memoir and retrospective tribute. It praises Miranda’s lively direction and highlights a striking pool-to-musical-score shot as a vivid image of Larson’s creativity.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/tick-tick-boom-review-andrew-garfield-lin-manuel-miranda/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Rating 3/5. 12 November 2021. 

O’Sullivan finds the film sentimental and often facile, though she sees plenty to enjoy. She singles out Andrew Garfield’s energized, warmly voiced performance as bringing Jonathan Larson vividly to life.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/tick-tick-boom-review-andrew-garfield-netflix-movie-b965493.html)

## Little White Lies — Elena Lazic

Rating 3/5. 11 November 2021. 

The critic finds the adaptation energetic but overhasty, with its realism making some emotional material feel awkward. She praises Andrew Garfield’s boundless energy, while wishing the songs had more room to breathe.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/tick-tick-boom)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Justin Lowe

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. Festival review. 

Lowe finds the film stylish but sterile, with its nostalgic approach less immediate and convincing than its source material. He praises Andrew Garfield’s committed performance and singles out Vanessa Hudgens’s rendition of “Come to Your Senses” as a standout.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/tick-tick-boom-review-2-1235044569/)

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2021. 

Brody finds the film lively and inventive but ultimately emotionally weakened by Andrew Garfield’s insufficient musical performance. He praises its intricate, deftly edited storytelling while faulting its lack of intimacy and screen-piercing musical presence.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/tick-tick-boom-reviewed-the-hole-at-the-center-of-lin-manuel-mirandas-movie-musical-adaptation)

## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2021. 

The critic calls the film one of the year's best and a beautiful celebration of Jonathan Larson's talent. They single out Andrew Garfield's magnetic performance and Miranda's inventive staging and direction for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38278315/tick-tick-boom-review-netflix-andrew-garfield/)

## Paste — Aurora Amidon

Rating 8.2/10. 24 November 2021. 

Amidon finds the film’s unconventional structure emotionally effective despite some jarring interruptions and an anticlimactic ending. She especially praises Andrew Garfield’s charismatic, empathetic performance as Jonathan Larson.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/netflix/tick-tick-boom-review)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 4/5. 18 November 2021. 

Crow praises the film as an insightful, emotionally devastating adaptation and a striking directorial debut. He singles out Andrew Garfield’s anguished, emotionally clear performance as its centerpiece.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/andrew-garfield-jonathan-larson-tribute-tick-tick-boom/)

## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui

Rating 8/10. 12 November 2021. 

Bui finds the film painfully earnest and exuberantly life-affirming, while noting that its adulation of art softens the original work’s rough edges. She especially praises Andrew Garfield’s dazzling performance and the film’s imaginative musical sequences.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/659300/tick-tick-boom-review-lin-manuel-miranda-turns-an-artists-lament-into-a-joyous-love-letter/)

## Polygon — Noel Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2021. 

The critic finds the film heartfelt and moving, though its structure sometimes feels episodic and its ending rushed. He praises its standout musical numbers and its vivid attention to period detail.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/22776394/tick-tick-boom-review-netflix/)

## NME — Alex Flood

Rating ★★★★☆. 11 November 2021. 

The review finds the film a hopeful, enjoyable tribute to Jonathan Larson, though serious moments sometimes feel rushed. It praises Andrew Garfield’s compassionate performance and singles out the diner ensemble number “Sunday” as a standout.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/tick-tick-boom-review-andrew-garfield-3100187)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B. 19 November 2021. 

Goldberg finds the film a captivating, heartfelt tribute, though its themes take time to cohere and Jon may be hard to relate to. He singles out Andrew Garfield’s vulnerable, nuanced performance as the film’s central strength.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/tick-tick-boom-review-andrew-garfield/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2021. 

The review finds the film engaging and energetic, while arguing that its lack of self-awareness weakens its treatment of artistic ambition. It particularly praises Andrew Garfield’s sincere, convincing central performance.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/tick-tick-boom-film-review-netflix-andrew-garfield-lin-manuel-miranda-jonathan-larson/)

## Film Stories — Tom Beasley

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2021. 

The review finds the film charming but uneven, with its hurried storytelling and muted visuals holding it back. It praises Andrew Garfield’s energetic performance and singles out a quiet piano scene about Larson’s friendship as the film’s best moment.

[Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/tick-tick-boom-review-lin-manuel-mirandas-movie-directing-debut-has-its-moments/)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2022. 

Kermode pans the film as slick, clichéd comfort filmmaking that fails to generate genuine emotion. She particularly criticises Andrew Garfield’s heavily mannered performance and the film’s shallow treatment of the AIDS crisis.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/tick-tickboom-2021-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/tick-tick-boom.md