Beautiful Boy

Should be mandatory viewing at all schools and drug reform programs. Excellent performances and extremely authentic portrayal of addiction and its damaging affects on family and self.

I am a heroin and meth addict with 3 years of sobriety. I currently work in a treatment center and I periodically show this movie in my groups, this movie is the best depiction I have ever seen of the life of addiction. It's heartbreaking to watch myself because it parallels my story very closely. The way addiction is shown is so raw and true, the overdoses, the shame, the guilt, the question of why that can never be answered. It's beautiful and heart wrenching, it's honestly not easy to watch but it is accurate (too a point, addicts know a few things that are a little wrong but that's small specifics) and the acting is phenomenal.

Timothee Chalamet gives an outstanding performance ans Steve Carell is right up there with him. Their emotions come through strongly and carry the story. Though unfortunately the story-line feels predictable. The flashbacks were more distracting than endearing. And those aspects hold the film back.

This film tells the sombre story of a young man hooked on drugs, and how the family members cope with the tragedy.

The story is depressing and sombre, and gets you down. This aspect is distinctly different from "Ben Is Back" which I watched yesterday. The music is sombre, the shots are slow, and the interaction do not give much hope either. The acting is brilliant though. This film hopefully will serve as an alarm for anyone who wishes to try drugs.

Movies about addiction are typically incredibly difficult to watch, my mind always drifts to movies like Rachel Getting Married or in an extreme sense, Requiem for a Dream. Just brutal movies to get through, and Beautiful Boy seemed poised to take the next slot in that group of films. While it's not exactly as powerful as either of those films, it features to stellar performances, and one that should get Timothee Chalamet his second consecutive nod for best actor, unless of course they put him in as supporting. But it's his turn as a young adult addicted to Meth, among many many other drugs. And as I just said about 'Mid90s', this film (likely because it's directly based on two memoirs) feels entirely authentic. Something that can't always be said about Oscar bait movies like this one. And while at times the film feels jumbled and uneven, those performances are what keep you invested. Make no mistake, they are Oscar worthy material.

7.6/10