When Hamilton appeared on Disney+ screens in Australia last year, Australians were enthralled.
It was our first real exposure to the phenomenon that was Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop American history lesson, and we were hooked.
Now, another of Miranda's upbeat, modern musicals has landed on our shores: In the Heights.
The new film - which hit cinemas just before lockdown and will surely return to cinemas once we can - is set in the New York neighbourhood of Washington Heights, which has a strong Latinx community.
The story follows Usnavi (Hamilton's Anthony Ramos, who deserves to have a long and fruitful movie career) and some of his closest friends and family in the lead-up to a heat-induced blackout in the Heights.
Usnavi is determined to return to the Dominican Republic, where he was born, to bring his late father's beachside bar back to life. With his impending departure looming, Usnavi spends more time celebrating and taking in what he loves about his hometown.
Meanwhile, several others have their own compelling stories going on.
Nina (Leslie Grace) has just returned from a semester at Stanford University, carrying the hopes and dreams of the folks in Washington Heights with her. But she's struggling to reconcile her own identity as someone from a poor, Latinx community with the Ivy League college lifestyle that looks down on her circumstances.
We also have Nina's father Kevin (Jimmy Smits), who is determined to provide his daughter as much financial support as possible so she can make the most of her intelligence and opportunity, and Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), Usnavi's love interest, who dreams of becoming a fashion designer but is struggling to escape her job in a beauty salon.
The musical numbers in In the Heights are much like the fast, fun, frenetic tunes from Hamilton, with an even more Latin edge.
In fact, the entire movie (directed by Crazy Rich Asians' John M Chu) is a beautiful celebration of Latin culture. It's bursting with pride, which makes the viewing experience electric.
An understanding of basic Spanish will serve the viewer well.
