In The Heights: The Underrated Musical Masterpiece Of The 2020s

Thanks to the success of films like Wicked, it seems like it's as good a time as ever to celebrate musicals, yet the best of the bunch is actually a movie that rarely gets talked about. From The Greatest Showman to La La Land to Tick, Tick....Boom!, there are some stellar modern musicals out there.

Picking the best of the bunch is a tall task, yet there's one musical that feels like it stands out from the crowd. While it didn't make as much money as Wicked and wasn't nominated for Oscars like West Side Story, it does everything you want a great musical to do and deserves more appreciation.

In The Heights Is An Incredible Musical

The best musical of the 2020s is In The Heights, which arrived five years ago. The film is an adaptation of the stage play of the same name, which comes from the mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda. This was a project he wrote before he hit it huge with Hamilton and pays homage to his roots.

In the Heights centers on Usnavi, Vanessa, Nina, Benny, and several other members of a predominantly Dominican neighborhood in New York, who all have dreams of a better life. That's the kind of story that resonates with so many people, making this a film that almost anybody can appreciate.

As always, for a musical to be considered great, the songs need to stand out. Miranda is as good a songwriter as you can find, which is evident in so many tracks. From the titular song about life in Washington Heights to the comedy of "No Me Diga," it's a blast to experience these musical numbers.

Jon M. Chu Does Fantastic Work As Director

Jon M. Chu is a name that has been mentioned a lot in Hollywood in recent years because of the work he's done with Wicked and Wicked: For Good. However, before he helmed those musicals, he sat in the director's chair for In the Heights.

His visionary style added a lot to In the Heights. The way Chu was able to gather such a big group for the film's opening musical number lets you know that you're watching something special, while the work he does to make "When the Sun Goes Down" a visual delight is spectacular.

You can clearly tell that Jon M. Chu came into this film with an idea of how to expertly adapt it from the stage and it works so well. In the hands of someone else, this might not have translated as well as it did.

Each Musical Number From In The Heights Is Special

In the Heights is not a subdued musical at all. Pretty much every number feels like an extravagant big deal that hits on exactly what the song is trying to say. The opening "In the Heights" has hundreds of people dancing and showcasing their lives in this neighborhood that they love.

"No Me Diga" perfectly captures these women hanging out at the hair salon, with added comedic elements of mannequins moving their heads and reacting to the lyrics. "Blackout" and "The Club" both do a great job of blending big dancing fun with emotional beats in a stellar balancing act.

"Paciencia y Fe" might be the most emotional number, following the beloved sweet Abulea Claudia as she recounts her history as an immigrant just before her heartbreaking passing. Showcasing this as if she was on a train as people are all around her is pretty breathtaking.

The showstopper is "96,000." From the added visual cues as the characters discuss their plans for a potential winning lottery ticket to the underwater camera, every single moment of this number is peak musical. When you think of a great musical, this is exactly what you want to see.

There's also a ton of fun to be had with "Carnaval del Barrio," as the neighborhood celebrates its different Spanish cultures with a block party of sorts. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Cubans, and more come together in a musical number that is heartfelt, hilarious, and memorable.

In The Heights Helped Some Stars Break Out

It's always cool to see a movie and find out that the actors have gone on to become bigger stars. That's the case with In the Heights, which quietly has one of the most impressive casts of any film from the 2020s, even looking outside of musicals.

Anthony Ramos earned a Golden Globe nomination for his work here and while Hamilton remains his biggest project, he's gone on to star in the MCU, the Transformers franchise, and the blockbuster Twisters. Melissa Barrera is a modern scream queen thanks to Scream VI, Abigail, and now has a good TV show in The Copenhagen Test.

Leslie Grace was set to star in Batgirl before that got unjustly shelved, Corey Hawkins was great in The Color Purple, and even smaller supporting players like Stephanie Beatriz (Twisted Metal) have gone on to do big things. In the Heights is special in every way.