The recently released Netflix bio-musical “Tick, Tick… BOOM!” shares the heart-wrenching story of famous composer Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield), creator of the hit Broadway musical “Rent”. From breakup ballads to Sunday brunch, this movie is sure to steal a special place in your heart. 

This captivating telling of the composer’s life is set in New York City— the best place for an aspiring playwright… and one of the worst for someone with a measly paycheck. Jonathan, a 29-year-old waiter at the Moondance Diner, struggles to make ends meet. Spending his free time in his fabricated world Suburbia, a futuristic rock-musical created by John himself. 

Time is ticking, and with his 30th birthday coming on full speed, Larson begins to worry about his chance of success in his career. Everyone he had ever looked up to (especially Stephen Sondeim, most known for his lyrical work for “West Side Story” and “Into the Woods”) had advanced in the field before this milestone age. The stress leads him to push away the people he holds close, such as his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp) and his long-time best friend Micheal (Robin de Jesús).

Doing this creates rifts in his relationships, but since he’s so trapped in his work he can’t find the time to focus on fixing them. Fast-forward to the night before the workshop, Jonathan still hasn’t begun his most crucial piece. So he sits at his computer, convinced that tonight he will find the inspiration he needs. However, as told in the monologue that Jonathan speaks, “The musical to which I have devoted my youth is about to be put on public display for every producer in New York. I haven’t written a single note or a single lyric of the most important song in the show. I have no electricity.”