The first reviews of In The Heights are in, with critics praising Lin-Manuel Miranda’s movie adaptation of his hit Broadway musical.
The film, focusing on a bodega owner in the largely Dominican neighbourhood of Washington Heights in New York city, will be released this summer in cinemas.
Empire Magazine called the film “a shot of summer holiday straight to the arm”, and said it “will have you shimmying out of the cinema and hugging all your neighbours.”
In The Heights received a positive review from Vanity Fair too, who said: “Basking in the film’s ceaseless swirl is as intoxicating a moviegoing experience as one could want these days, a burst of communal joy (and sorrow) that serves as an effusive welcome back to the world.”
Many praised the direction of filmmaker Jon M. Chu, who previously directed Crazy Rich Asians. Monica Castillo at The Wrap said: “With In the Heights, Chu delivers the Latino equivalent of his previous box office smash Crazy Rich Asians and knocks it out of the park.”
Several critics commented on the film’s energy, commenting on how welcome In The Heights would be once cinemas reopen. IndieWire‘s David Ehrlich called the film “so exuberant and full of life that it would probably convince you the movies were back even if they hadn’t gone anywhere.”
In an interview with NME last year, In the Heights star Leslie Grace said that fans of Hamilton would not be disappointed in the latest effort from Miranda.
“In The Heights is a full-on movie, it’s what you would wish any musical would be for that one person in your family that hates musicals,” she said.
The post ‘In The Heights’ first reviews: “An effusive welcome back to the world” appeared first on NME.