"Beautiful Boy" (2018) Review

Timothèe Chalamet’s enthralling performance crowns him as one of Hollywood’s greatest actors.

Directed by: Felix Van Groeningen

Rated: R:

Runtime: 2:00

Based upon the true stories and memoirs of Nic Sheff and David Sheff, “Beautiful Boy” tells the story of a devoted father, David (Steve Carell), who desperately tries to save his son, Nic (Timothèe Chalamet), from the harmful drugs he addicted to, including the methamphetamine threatening to destroy his life. The film, though dark and saddening, showcases the ultimate love story between a father and his son, showing how even in the most grueling of times, a parent’s love for their child is indestructible. 

“Beautiful Boy” is easily one of the most exhausting films I have ever seen- in a great way, that is. It is exhausting in the sense that the story has many ups and downs due to the character of Nic being absolutely relentless when it comes to using drugs, as all drug addicts usually are. Once you think his near-death experiences are enough to make him stop using, he turns right back around and is pulled into the darkness again. 

The writing behind the plot and the characters is so brilliantly and vividly depicted more than likely because the people in the film are actually real. Though the film is only about one family who has experienced the heartbreaking rift that drugs can create, there are millions of stories out there just like this one. Drugs are ripping families apart each and every day, which is why I think that this film has the power to be a revelation for addicts and families of addicts everywhere. 

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of this film lies within the performances of its two outstanding leading actors, Steve Carell and Timothèe Chalamet. This may come out as an unpopular opinion, but I personally prefer Carell in these gritty, raw types of roles, like in this film and “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006). It is hard sometimes for people to take this comedic genius seriously in this genre of a film, but Carell really does nail the fervent father character of David Sheff effortlessly. 

As we continue to discuss the acting in “Beautiful Boy”, mark my words: Timothèe Chalamet will win the 2019 Academy Award for “Best Actor in a Supporting Role.” Steve Carell is amazing, as mentioned earlier, but Chalamet’s performance is the glue that holds this emotional rollercoaster of a film together. Timothèe Chalamet first snuck his way into the hearts of critics and audiences everywhere last year with his daring, Oscar-nominated performance in “Call Me by Your Name”.  Many critics (Including myself) will say that he was completely gypped of the gold last year, but not only is his performance in “Beautiful Boy” better than his in “CMBYN” but also, he will be put in the category of “Supporting Actor”, which is a not as competitive of a category as the “Best Actor” one he was placed in last year. Being a huge fan of Chalamet, I realize that I have a very biased opinion about his work, but the Oscar-buzz surrounding Timothèe Chalamet and this movie is inevitably everywhere right now.

 All in all, “Beautiful Boy” forces its audiences to feel every emotion within every imperfection in this familial love affair. Keep in mind that it is intended to be seen by mature audiences due to inappropriate language and graphic drug usage, but if you are a part of this mature audience, go see this film now. If this film seems like it would be too distressing for you, I highly recommend still giving it a shot because Chalamet’s riveting performance will undoubtedly amaze, impress, and entertain you.