Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy is an absolute emotional wrecking ball, a movie that digs deep and refuses to let you go. It’s all about the relationship between a father, David, and his son, Nic, who’s fighting this endless battle with addiction. There's this scene that honestly broke me—it’s where David, played by Steve Carell, has written these papers asking, “Have you seen my son? Have you seen my beautiful boy? Tell him I miss him.” That line alone has so much packed into it; it feels like there are endless layers just in that one moment.

Steve Carell is unreal here; he plays David with such restraint and care, showing a father who’s desperately trying to save his son. You can feel every bit of hope and heartbreak he goes through, and it makes the whole experience hit so much harder. And then there’s Timothée Chalamet as Nic, who captures that mix of charisma and self-destruction. Nic’s pain, his struggle—it’s all so real. Timothée does this incredible job of showing the highs and lows, the tiny glimmers of hope that get crushed by the addiction that won’t let go.

Director Felix Van Groeningen does a great job of keeping things from slipping into those addiction clichés we see so often. Instead of just hitting the typical beats of tragedy and recovery, he brings us into this series of memories and moments, making the whole thing feel like we’re inside David and Nic’s heads. The movie bounces through their past and present, capturing how addiction is always lurking, twisting their lives in unexpected ways. The remote Marin County backdrop also adds this haunting, lonely vibe that suits the story so well.

There are parts that feel a little too on-the-nose, especially with the soundtrack choices. Songs like Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings” make the emotions almost too obvious at times, but the story’s impact still punches through. Watching *Beautiful Boy* isn’t easy, but it’s a reminder of how messy, painful, and relentless addiction can be—not just for the person going through it but for everyone who loves them.

By the end, this movie had me thinking about who I keep close, how fragile it all can be, and how much addiction truly changes everything. If you want to understand the toll of harmful habits or just feel the sheer weight of love and loss, this is a must-watch.