IN THE HEIGHTS REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Lin-Manuel Miranda is best known for creating the award winning musical, Hamilton, which premiered at The Public Theatre in New York City in 2015. The staged production was filmed and released on the streaming service, Disney+, so it could be enjoyed by musical fans outside of the United States. Miranda also wrote the songs for the Disney animated feature, Moana, with one of them, How Far I’ll Go, receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. In 2018, Miranda delivered a memorable supporting role alongside Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns. Safe to say there’s no end to Miranda’s musical talents and that’s further proven with In The Heights, which first premiered in 2005, and has been adapted into a feature film directed by Jon M. Chu who previously directed the romantic comedy, Crazy Rich Asians. 

In The Heights tells the story of Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) who owns a bodega and has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic or staying in Washington Heights. The film also focuses on the lives of other characters including Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), who Usnavi has a crush on and is a fashion designer, Nina (Leslie Grace), who has recently returned from Stanford University, however, she doesn’t want to go back but doesn’t know how to tell her father, Kevin (Jimmy Smits), who paid for her tuition. 

From its energetic and uplifting opening to its meaningful conclusion, In The Heights is a feel good musical that will make you want to get up from your seat and dance with the characters. The story is filled with heartwarming romance, engaging drama and amusing comedy. Prior to watching In The Heights, I hadn’t seen the original stage musical so wasn’t sure what to expect, fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely one of the best musicals since the Oscar winning La La Land. Both films are thematic and explore how following your dreams can affect your personal relationships. In In The Heights, Usnavi wants to leave Washington Heights to live in the Dominican Republic but doesn’t want to leave Vanessa who he has had a crush on since high school. After following her dream of going to Stanford University, Nina returns home disappointed by her experience and how she was treated. Although In The Heights is mostly a joyful and uplifting musical, the story doesn’t shy away from important themes, such as home, dreams, love and death, which are all explored through musical numbers. 

Unsurprisingly, In The Heights is at its most entertaining during the musical numbers. The film opens with the titular song which introduces the characters, including Usnavi, his cousin, Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV), Vanessa, Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz) who is the matriarch of Washington Heights and portrayed as a motherly figure to most of the characters, Kevin, Nina’s father who runs the taxi company, and Benny (Corey Hawkins) who works for Kevin and is in love with Nina. All of these characters are memorable and interesting enough to keep viewers invested in their stories. Most of these characters get their moment to shine with their own musical numbers where they express their thoughts and feelings. Personally, my favourite songs were 96,000, which focuses on the characters singing about what they would do with a winning lottery ticket worth $96,000, Blackout, which takes place during a power cut, and Paciencia y Fe which is a moving ballad sung by Abuela shortly before she passes away. This was one of the most emotional scenes in In The Heights as Abuela was a mother figure to many of the characters who are saddened by her death. I don’t think there was a dry eye in my screening during this sequence.

What I liked most about In The Heights was that it didn’t just focus on Usnavi and his story, it followed the lives of other individuals who lived in Washington Heights. The framing device sees an older Usnavi telling his life story to a small group of children. At first, it appears that Usnavi is living on a beach in the Dominican Republican, making the viewer believe that he succeeded in following his dream and leaving Washington Heights. However, it’s revealed later on that the location he’s in a shop he built with Vanessa that has a backdrop that looks like the Dominican Republican. This was a clever twist that I didn’t see coming and made for a satisfying ending to Usnavi’s story. 

In The Heights benefits from the lively performances delivered by its cast. Most of the actors aren’t that well known, because of this, they’re more convincing in their roles. Ramos previously had a small supporting role in the Oscar winning A Star is Born alongside Lady Gaga, however, in In The Heights, he delivers an impressing leading performance as Usnavi. Fans of hit sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine will recognise Stephanie Beatriz who appears as one of the salon ladies. He shares chemistry with Barrera who portrays Vanessa. Miranda has a cameo as Piragüero, who owns a small food stand. I was expecting Miranda to have a bigger role in In The Heights, however, I can imagine that he didn’t want to steal the spotlight from the main cast. 

While fans of the original staged musical will, most likely, be impressed with what Chu has created with his adaptation of In The Heights, I think that it can be enjoyed by viewers who are less familiar with it. Because of its mostly lighthearted tone, it’s family friendly and can be enjoyed by viewers of any age. 

The last year has been especially difficult for obvious reasons. The timing of In The Height’s release couldn’t be better as it’s the feel good film we all need right now. Because of its energetic musical numbers, In The Heights is sure to bring a smile to your face. Many people go to the cinema to escape from the realities of the outside world and In The Heights is the perfect film for that. Although 143 minute runtime may seem long, the story and musical numbers are so entertaining that you’ll forget how long it is. 

With energetic and upbeat musical numbers, In The Heights is the ultimate feel good film that we all need right now.

8/10