Musicals have a rocky history in modern day cinema. For every Chicago or The Greatest Showman, Hollywood is lined with the corpses of failed musical adaptations such as Into the Woods or this year’s Dear Evan Hansen. They’re not even always bad, but audiences are just finicky with which ones they grasp onto. So, here’s a mostly unknown (outside of theater circles) show being adapted by a first-time director. There is every reason not to be optimistic and yet tick, tick…BOOM! is a blast.
Based on the original musical by Jonathan Larson (of Rent fame), BOOM is fairly complicated structurally for a film musical. The titular BOOM performance is used as a framing device with flashbacks to the writing of it. That’s where most of the story lies as Larson (Andrew Garfield) is a 29-year-old New Yorker struggling to make a name for himself while dealing with the AIDS crisis among his friend and his own personal struggles in love and paying rent. And yes, if that sounds familiar it’s because this also serves as a sort of Shakespeare in Love telling of Rent along the way. How much of this exists in the original show I’m not sure (BOOM did premiere before Rent, so some definitely feels retconned), but director Lin-Manuel Miranda certainly leans into the parallels and Easter eggs.
If that all sounds complicated, it’s because it is. It caused me to watch the film twice—something I rarely do in such quick succession. I enjoyed it more the second time and I think a lot of audiences will. Possibly also because of the familiarity with the music the second time round.
Let’s talk about the music because musicals live or die by it. While not the biggest musical fan, I am a firm believer that musicals succeed if they can have you leave the theater at least humming one or two of the numbers. Think about your favorites of the genre and you almost certainly can, while those with less memorable numbers are simply easily forgotten. The Greatest Showman received dismissal from some musical fans because of its score, but I’d argue it’s exactly what saved a rather forgettable plot.
BOOM succeeds similarly, though with more thoughtful songs than Showman. Songs like Therapy, Johnny Can’t Decide, Louder Than Words, and Boho Days are memorable numbers that arranged here audiences will want to hum after. But it’s the Come to Your Senses duet between Alexandra Shipp and Vanessa Hudgens that’s the real showstopper here. It works so well while fitting dramatically into that moment that more than any number the entire film hinges on its success.
Hudgens and Shipp are excellent in the rest of the film, with special consideration given to Shipp who has the often-thankless role of the “girlfriend” but manages to breathe more life into than the script alone offers. The entire cast is excellent, however. Robin de Jesus as Larson’s pal Michael, Judith Light as his unreliable agent Rosa, and of course Garfield himself. If there isn’t Oscar buzz yet for his role than it should start. This feels like a breakout moment in a career that has already included one Oscar nomination and, of course, being Spider-man. Also notable is a lot of minor parts are played by Broadway veterans and it shows. When rehearsing the musical within a musical there are little flourishes of “theater kid” energy I missed the first time round. It’s worth paying attention to these background actors on a second viewing.
Will it wake up a generation of new musical fans? I don’t think BOOM is revolutionary for movie musicals (unfortunately, Larson’s revolutionary musical has already been adapted into a mostly forgettable film), but it is a solid hit in an age where we so rarely get those in the genre. There’s a joy to Miranda’s filmmaking conveying a real passion for this story. It so adeptly displays the creative struggle that I can imagine it appealing to artists of all types. The fact that it bops as well is only a bonus.
