Overview
A vibrant celebration of community, dreams, and the power of home in a bustling neighborhood.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- uplifting
- joyful
- wistful
- movie night
- musical theater night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an exuberant, emotionally resonant adaptation powered by its music, choreography, ensemble cast, and Latino representation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Usnavi, Nina, Vanessa, Benny, Abuela Claudia, and their neighbors share the narrative focus, while Washington Heights functions as the emotional center.
Usnavi dreams of returning to the Dominican Republic, Vanessa seeks a new life downtown, and Nina confronts expectations tied to her education and family sacrifices.
Bodegas, streets, pools, rooftops, and subway-adjacent spaces become expansive musical stages through ensemble choreography.
The residents' interconnected businesses, family relationships, bilingual culture, and collective response to hardship shape the film's central conflicts.
Films like In the Heights, and why
West Side Story
community-centered musical drama combining romance, immigration, cultural identity, and exuberant choreography
La La Land
contemporary musical about dreams, artistic ambition, romance, and multicultural urban life
The Muppets
warm ensemble storytelling about family, belonging, and immigrant community through musical performance
West Side Story
large-scale neighborhood musical with Latino cultural specificity, romance, and aspirations for a better life
Movie Details
- Director
- Jon M. Chu
- Release Date
- 2021-06-10
- Runtime
- 143 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (820)
Cast
- Anthony Ramos
- Corey Hawkins
- Leslie Grace
- Melissa Barrera
- Olga Merediz
- Daphne Rubin-Vega
- Gregory Díaz IV
- Marc Anthony
- Jimmy Smits
- Stephanie Beatriz
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- TNT, TBS, tru TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is In the Heights about?
- A vibrant neighborhood musical about love, sacrifice, and the complicated dream of finding home while reaching for somewhere else.
- What is In the Heights like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of In the Heights as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is In the Heights violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in In the Heights.
- What did critics think of In the Heights?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an exuberant, emotionally resonant adaptation powered by its music, choreography, ensemble cast, and Latino representation.
- Which films are like In the Heights?
- Films with a similar feel include West Side Story, La La Land, The Muppets, and West Side Story.
- How long is In the Heights?
- In the Heights runs 143 minutes.
- Where can I watch In the Heights?
- In United States, In the Heights streams on TNT, TBS, tru TV.
