In the Heights: The Movie Musical Returns

Warner Bros. is so proud of In the Heights, the movie version of the musical Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote before Hamilton, and which landed on Broadway when its author was just 28, that the studio has been showing it to critics for more than a year. Warner’s pride is well-warranted; the movie is bouncy, effervescent, and full of spirit. The actors are adorable, the choreography is inventive, and the songs, though not great, offer lots of infectious Latin/hip-hop beats.

Having much to recommend it, In the Heights has nevertheless graduated to the overhyped category and falls short of being one of the great movie musicals. You might call it West Side Story without the stabbing; but another way to put that is that it’s West Side Story without a dramatic point. Given that Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is on its way, it’s unclear whether In the Heights will even be the best Latino musical of 2021; certainly its songs don’t hold a candle to the Leonard Bernstein–Stephen Sondheim powerhouses.

About the Author

Kyle Smith

Kyle Smith is the film critic for the Wall Street Journal.

Featured Tags

Warner Bros. is so proud of In the Heights, the movie version of the musical Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote before Hamilton, and which landed on Broadway when its author was just 28, that the studio has been showing it to critics for more than a year. Warner’s pride is well-warranted; the movie is bouncy, effervescent, and full of spirit. The actors are adorable, the choreography is inventive, and the songs, though not great, offer lots of infectious Latin/hip-hop beats.

Having much to recommend it, In the Heights has nevertheless graduated to the overhyped category and falls short of being one of the great movie musicals. You might call it West Side Story without the stabbing; but another way to put that is that it’s West Side Story without a dramatic point. Given that Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is on its way, it’s unclear whether In the Heights will even be the best Latino musical of 2021; certainly its songs don’t hold a candle to the Leonard Bernstein–Stephen Sondheim powerhouses.