Rent sure was a trip, but not a good one. I usually enjoy musicals, Chicago (2002) being my favorite movie ever, but Rent really fell flat. It opened with a good musical number to show each of the characters, but then transitions to a musical number to introduce the plot. They could have easily kept one number to fulfill the purpose of both. Most of the musical numbers don’t push the plot forward, and those that do are random and marginal. The characters’ resentment for Benny is completely unwarranted because he seizes an opportunity and tries to create a space for the artists to get jobs while waiving a YEAR of their rent. Instead, they refuse to pay last year’s, and next year’s rent. Maurine was the most bizarre character and was introduced by two characters trashing on her in a musical number, which doesn’t help viewers sympathize with her and her protest.  The protest itself was cringey and random, and had no reason getting broken up other than moving to the next scene where all the protesters meet Benny at a restaurant to continue singing at him. The movie is random and odd and would truly gives Cats a run for its money if it had furry cgi people all over the place.