With the film industry ramping back up, a few titles hugely benefit from a theatrical release. Even with a concurrent release on HBO Max, In the Heights is one of those movies. Beyond being a wonderfully endearing, heartfelt, and vibrant portrait of the Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban immigrant cultures in Washington Heights, New York, it’s also a pinnacle moment in silver screen representation.
Jon M. Chu did a fantastic job representing the community and the play by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes who adapted the screenplay for the film. While elements of protest and gentrification exist as subtext to the immigrant experiences we’re watching, this is a story about love, dreams, family, community, and perseverance in the face of the unknown.
This is as big of a star-making performance as you could get from Anthony Ramos who provides the pulse for the film as Usnavi, a small bodega owner who dreams of heading back to the Dominican Republic to restore his father’s bar but is torn by his love for his long-time crush Vanessa (Melissa Barrera).
As you’d expect, the original music by Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Bill Sherman is outstanding as it moves back and forth across languages. The sound of it all ties in together beautifully with Nelson Coates’ production design, Andrew Baseman’s set decoration, and Mitchell Traver’s costume design. I couldn’t find who to credit but the choreography is exceptional as well.
There wasn’t a bad performance in the group either. Jimmy Smits was great, Corey Hawkins was ultra-smooth, and Leslie Grace was incredibly passionate. That said, two of the biggest standout performances belong to Olga Merediz, who played Abuela to all the kids of Washington Heights, and Gregory Diaz IV who was a constant scene-stealer as Sonny.
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It’s always nice when a project lives up to its expectations and, in this case, I’d say In the Heights exceeded them. The theatrical experience was totally worth it and since it’s streaming on HBO Max, there is a high probability of subsequent viewings.
Recommendation: If you’re looking to kick back and have a good time at the movies, it would be tough to find a more genuinely fun experience in theaters.