A couple years ago, the film ‘Beautiful Boy’ was released in the United States on October 12th, 2018. This movie became a quick hit and had an emotional impact on many across the world. Leading up to the drama based film, which is rated R, it was released later in the United Kingdom on January 18th, 2019. Since then it has been readily available to watch as an original movie on Amazon Prime for everyone to watch.

‘Beautiful Boy’ captures a true story based on journalist David Sheff and his son Nic’s memoirs. With serious topics included throughout the movie such as drug addiction and relapse. This movie takes the viewer into a complete emotional rollercoaster. Comparing the film to the real life events, ‘Beautiful Boy’ is an accurate depiction of David and Nic’s accounts. Despite the condensed timeline, due to the movie being about 2 hours long, it covers the heavy events seamlessly.

The lead actor, Timothée Chalamet, plays the role of Nic Sheff, who is a teenage boy fighting against his addiction to methamphetamines whilst tackling school’s itinerary and extracurricular activities. Nic’s father David Sheff is played by Steve Carell, where in the film he tries his best to prevent Nic from letting his addiction corrupt his life and harm himself or his family. Both stars unfold the story scene by scene to highlight a conversation that needs to happen about addiction in general.

Although this movie is very difficult and heavy for most viewers to watch or understand, it is important for people to understand that this is real life at our hands. The film dives into the mysteries of addiction and why it is very challenging to treat it: despite having characteristics such as a loving family or top-notch resources at hand. As Chalamet states according to an interview with Time, “..when you talk about addiction, there are, maddeningly, no satisfying answers. And even I, after many years clean and sober, never know exactly what to say about it. Which is both the challenge and the triumph of the film: it’s not a movie that claims, Hollywood ending and all, that the love of a parent is enough to save a sick kid. But it’s a powerful reminder that it’s worth trying..” The message the movie provides is more empowering and inspiring to many due to the fragility of the story and how truthful it is.

In the present, the real life Nic Sheff is now sober and has successfully written and produced a popular TV show called, ‘13 Reasons Why’, which also explores topics about teenage struggles. After going through processes such as rehab his story enlightens many about the seriousness and importance of the fight against drug addiction.

‘Beautiful Boy’ never lacks to leave you thinking and looking back upon the reality of life. With the heavy themes discussed throughout, it pulls across a message of importance for many to consider. Whilst the acting that is portrayed paints the story in a realistic light, both Timothée and Steve did a speechless job at fabricating the story. As the film is aimed towards a more mature audience, I personally recommend this movie if you’re interested in topics surrounded by mental health and addiction in general. Although it is very heartbreaking, this movie is beautifully written and this story is very impactful. The power of love and forgiveness in the face of addiction is truly inspiring. And this movie has definitely left a mark on my life as a whole.