Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera and Leslie Grace star in the movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's stage musical, and I'm not talking about Hamilton. In the Heights was Lin-Manuel Miranda's first and less well known musical about normal people living in Washington Heights as they dream for something bigger. I have not seen the original stage production of In the Heights so I will not be comparing the movie to the musical but I had listened to the original album multiple times before seeing the movie.

In the Heights was a very cleverly put together movie. Directors always have a tough job when they are adapting any piece of media to the big screen. I think that In the Heights definitely achieved a well put together adaptation. It didn't feel like we were just watching a live performance through a camera and it didn't feel like the movie was supposed to be on stage.

The director Jon M. Chu, who is well known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians, used some incredibly thought-out practical effects. It was also obvious from the camera angles, lighting and filters that this was the man behind Crazy Rich Asians. There was some incredible filmography and photography which reflected many emotions. There was a particular shot where we were looking at the protagonist through a window which meant we could see the reflection of what was happening outside. This was brilliant for the audience to see two things at once whilst not feeling unnatural. There were multiple of these unique and clever shots which made for a more enjoyable and interesting experience.

There were many things about this movie which made it feel very realistic. For starters, the actors felt extremely natural and said things in a way which felt very normal. Then the full cast and ensemble's culture was very diverse which felt logical for a place such as Washington Heights. As they spoke, they were constantly changing between English and their native language which also felt very commonplace.

I loved the story of this movie. It was entirely about normal people and moved the spotlight away from big events or people and shone it on the people we see everyday such as the hair salon lady or the man who runs the corner store. Everyone knew everybody in this movie and whilst you were viewing the movie, you felt like you were part of the small community. How everyone was connected had to be one of my favourite aspects of the movie.

I of course have to commend Lin-Manuel Miranda for the incredible songs he wrote for the musical and how they were adapted for the movie. The songs were a mix of traditional latin music and Lin's classic hip-hop style. This also felt very instinctive in a place such as Washington Heights and added to the atmosphere.

In the Heights was very long at almost two and a half hours so you must be prepared for this going into the cinema. But I didn't feel like the movie would work at a shorter length and some of the character's personal stories would need to be cut. Then again, the story was originally written for the live stage where there would likely be an interval anyway.

Because I haven't seen the original musical of In the Heights, it's hard to imagine what it would be like. It would have to be done very differently to the movie as the audience wouldn't be able to see little movements of characters which were a large part of the movie. I would be very interested to see the live version and to see how it compares to the movie.

In the Heights had some deep messages about dreams and ambitions which made the movie worth a watch even if the concept doesn't interest you. I would recommend this movie for teenagers and adults. I think that some of the jokes, messages and references would go over the head of someone under the age of thirteen or fourteen. I also think that this movie would be perfect for anyone actually living in New York or Washington Heights or is an immigrant.

In the Heights is an incredible adaptation of an already amazing musical. It has some amazing music, convincing acting and a clever use of practical effects and is a fantastic movie for anyone over the age of thirteen. Congratulations to Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda for creating such a spectacular movie.

Director: Jon M. Chu

Composer: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Starring: Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins

Year released: 2021

My rating: 8.5/10

Review by Tristan Carr

Last edited: 13/06/2021