Melissa Barrera reflects on “soul-crushing” press reception to In the Heights

Scream star Melissa Barrera reflected “soul-crushing” it was to receive the negative press reaction to the film In the Heights.

Before she became one of Gen Z’s scream queens, Melissa Barrera starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s movie musical adaptation of In the Heights.

The movie, based on the musical and book which chronicled characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of Washington Heights, NY, was seen in a positive light thanks to the casting, pacing, and existence all together.

And star Melissa Barrera didn’t hold back on how she felt the film was mistreated by the public as she told The Hollywood Reporter, “My problem was with the press that came out that just felt mean-spirited toward the film. That was my first big studio movie, and everybody was telling us, ‘Your life is going to change.’ Then it doesn’t happen, so it was very heartbreaking and soul-crushing.”

Barrera continued stating, “I’m [still] grateful for how it happened. It taught me a lot about the industry, about myself, about expectations, about not letting the noise outside put a stain on my experience.”

Maybe the In the Heights reactions served as a learning lesson for Barrera who found herself ousted from Scream 7 late last year due to posts relating to the situation in Gaza and the actress has not backed down from her position at all.