If you have Amazon Prime and are looking for recommendations on an emotional and beautifully-acted drama, you should check out Beautiful Boy.
Released in 2018 by Amazon Studios, Beautiful Boy tells the true story of father and son David and Nic Sheff. David (Steve Carell) struggles with trying to save his son Nic (Timothée Chalamet) from his drug addiction. The film is directed by Felix van Groeningen (Belgica, The Broken Circle Breakdown) and written by Groeningen and Luke Davies (Lion), based on the books Beautiful Boy and Tweak, written by David and Nic Sheff, respectively. It also stars Maura Tierney (ER), Amy Ryan (The Office, Gone Baby Gone) and Timothy Hutton (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Haunting Of Hill House).
Related – Trailer Released For Beautiful Boy, Starring Steve Carell And Timothée Chalamet
Steve Carell is easily one of the best crossover actors in the industry today. For someone who built his career on comedies like The Daily Show, Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and The Office, Carell’s transition into drama was seamless. Films like Little Miss Sunshine and Crazy Stupid Love gave hints of his dramatic capabilities before his full emotional prowess was exuded in Foxcatcher, The Big Short, Last Flag Flying and now this film. Teamed up with Chalamet, these two Oscar nominees put on a tour-de-force as a son tortured by his addiction and a father tortured by his failure to cure his son. Adding to the heartbreak is the way the film presents glimpses in the past, before Nic started using. We see David and a young Nic, inseparable and affectionate with each other, only to be brought back to the present where David struggles to save his son before the addiction takes his life.
Just a heads up: this is a tough film. If you are a parent, have dealt with drug abuse in your family or are moved by superbly-acted emotional films, this one will strike a chord with you. The entire cast is perfect in their roles based on real-life characters. Groeningen presents an in-your-face look at a family’s suffering, a son’s torturous pain and a father’s undying love for his beautiful boy. It is a painful and beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking film. A film worthy of your viewing.
Beautiful Boy is streaming now on Amazon Prime.