Review of Beautiful Boy (2018) by Sassymah — 16 Oct 2018

The best movie I have seen so far in 2018. It is heart-wrenching, compelling, emotionally raw, and authentic. The acting from Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carell is strong and Oscar-worthy. Timothee is proving to be one of the best actors of his generation.

It is a no-frills movie that illustrates the struggles and cyclical nature of destructive addiction, relapse, and recovery. It is beautifully directed and poignantly adapted from two memoirs. It also displays the emotional dynamic and turmoil of the father-son bond wonderfully.

The cinematography is also top notch and captures the tone of the film. I am honestly baffled by some of the critic reviews. Beautiful Boy deserves a much higher rating. The film is honest and I empathized with the issues because the film explores the pain in such a real way.

We witness how the addiction affects the entire family and how average people can be sucked into the black hole that drugs offers. It is relevant in this day and age to show the problems that relatable youth face.

In most Hollywood films, we typically see the addiction melodramatically explored with individuals suffering from a specific trauma or living in abject poverty. In this film, we see the torment & despair of addiction powerfully & realistically explored within a middle-class family.

Beautiful Boy is a must-see for everyone. It deserves Oscar nominations for Timothee Chalamet, adapted screenplay, cinematography, and directing. The movie is so much better than a number of the other acclaimed, flashy Oscar contenders of 2018.

Beautiful Boy is candid and naturalistic. Not only does the audience get access to such fine artful filmmaking but also gets served with life lessons.