Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick, Tick… Boom! is less a directorial debut than a lightning rod for creative anxiety a film that vibrates with the urgency of an artist racing against time. Adapted from Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical, this isn’t just a tribute to the Rent composer; it’s a raw, glittering excavation of the terror and exhilaration of making art before your dreams (or the rent) crush you.

Andrew Garfield delivers a performance so electrically alive it’s hard to believe he’s acting. His Larson is a whirlwind of charm, insecurity, and manic energy, his voice cracking with passion even in the quieter moments. The supporting cast particularly Robin de Jesús as Larson’s steadfast best friend and Alexandra Shipp as his fraying girlfriend ground the film in real stakes, but this is Garfield’s show. When he performs "30/90," a panic attack disguised as a showstopper, you don’t just watch Jonathan Larson you feel him.

Miranda’s direction is as exuberant as his musical sensibilities, blending stage and screen with seamless invention. The "Sunday" diner sequence is pure joy, a Broadway fever dream crammed with cameos, while "Louder Than Words" crescendos into a heart-stopping anthem of artistic defiance. The film’s pacing occasionally stumbles some emotional beats land harder onstage but its energy never flags.

What lingers isn’t just the music (though the songs are glorious), but the film’s aching question: How do you know if your work matters? By the time the real Larson’s fate looms in the subtext, Tick, Tick… Boom! becomes more than a biopic. It’s a ticking clock, a warning, and a celebration all at once.