In the Heights Review: A Great Musical Experience!

In the Heights is a musical drama on HBO MAX from the creators of The Hamilton and Crazy Rich Asians. The film explores the story of a town in Washington Heights where characters try to live their real dreams while finding their identity and root.

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First of all, as a musical, In the Heights was top-notch and entertaining to watch. Almost every song in the movie was dynamic, lively, and superbly choreographed. The lyrics were just normal conversations between the characters, but in sync with the beats. Even more, some motions match the beat of the song, like footsteps and sounds of water from the hose. Because of this, I was hooked to the screen from start to finish, at the liveliness and passion of the characters.

In the Heights also portrayed the cohesiveness of the town very well. The people in the town all knew each other and the dances showed how much fun they had with each other. Whenever the people dance, whenever on the street or in the room, I just felt like I wanted to be part of the town. Also, even when the whole town struggles, the music still brought the people together.

Despite how lively the town was, the characters living in it all had their own struggles and different dynamic. I liked that each song revealed the personal struggle, relationship, and hopes and dreams of the primary characters. Even though I’m not Latino, I can still relate to some of the characters because of my background as an immigrant to the new country. Like some of the characters, I had to look at the previous generations to reflect on my future.

The primary theme of In the Heights was about moving forward and living the dream in the melting pot that is the US, while still not forgetting one’s roots and culture, and people. I love this message, and the ending of the movie reflected this well.

However, my biggest issue with this movie is that, even though the music was used well, I didn’t feel as much emotion and impact as I hope I would. I felt like too much was focused on the music and dancing, and somehow the resolves of some of the characters didn’t feel impactful. I understood the messages, but the execution was a bit off. The turning points were pretty predictable, which did dip down the impact.

Overall, even though I didn’t feel much emotion, In the Heights was still a great musical experience that I’m sure many will have a fun time with. Watch ‘In the Heights’ on HBO MAX here.

Rating – 3.5/5 | Grade – B+

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