Honey Boy

Starring: Shia La Beouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, Byron Bowers, Laura San Giacomo, FKA Twigs, Natasha Lyonne, Clifton Collins Jr.
Directed by: Alma Har'el
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Based on the life of Shia LaBeouf- a young actor struggles to connect with his difficult father.

Review:

Tim: Wow, I am so impressed with Honey Boy. Shia LaBeouf has written a disturbing, powerful, enlightening look at his childhood. I've been a fan of LaBeouf for quite a while- despite the personal issues, he seemed like a legitimate talent. I've hoped he would get his act together because he could do brilliant things as an actor. This movie is further proof of that. It also gives you an uncomfortable look into his life. It helps to explain why he's had struggles in his life. You get a deeper appreciation for who he is as a person. I really, really enjoyed this movie. It's just shy of greatness, but it's a movie I will be thinking about for a long time.

LaBeouf started writing this film while in rehab. That's in the movie as well. The film shows two different time periods- when he was quite young, living with his father and doing work on "Even Stevens" (consequently, that's a show my sister used to watch growing up- it was my first introduction to LaBeouf). And, secondly, later in his life, when he goes to rehab. It's remarkable how much we can learn about his life from these two periods. I give LaBeouf so much credit for telling such a personal story. It was obviously a cathartic experience to write about his father. He allows us into his pain, his bitter disappointment. The events depicted in this film required immense vulnerability to put into a film. In a hundred years, I would never have the courage it took to do what LaBeouf did here. He deserves immense praise for opening up and committing such a trying time in his life to posterity.

Continuing the accolades for LaBeouf, I'm stunned that he played his own father here. Just to think about what it took to make himself look like his father- to dress like him- and then, ultimately to shove a camera in his face and have him play his own father- wow. This is especially powerful when you consider how he had to turn around and do horrible things to a younger actor playing him. Watching LaBeouf deliver a stunning performance also helps you to understand how deeply his own father wounded him. LaBeouf has the mannerisms down. He speaks with authority. It's obvious he is repeating things he heard his father say to him a thousand times. This is oftentimes hard to watch, but it just boggles your mind. LaBeouf's performance is remarkable.

In addition to LaBeouf, we get two other excellent performances. First up, Noah Jupe couldn't be any better as the younger Shia (Otis, in this film). Jupe is a fantastic actor for someone so young. It was brilliant casting him- he has the same amount of nearly limitless potential that LaBeouf had at that age. He even looks like him. I've loved this kid since I saw him in Wonder and he never disappoints. He was so good in this film that it hurts. It felt almost like young Joseph Mazzello (which is high praise for me). Jupe and LaBeouf get so many scenes together and it's incredible to see two younger actors both delivering exceptional performances. Lucas Hedges was incredibly good as well. His story is similar to LaBeouf's and Jupe's. He is a younger actor who has crushed numerous roles already. I was blown away by his performance in Manchester by the Sea and he's continued to do exceptional work (Boy Erased, for example). He doesn't look like Jupe or LaBeouf, but his performance is still top notch. These three all make the movie so good. FKA Twigs does some interesting things as well, and I always love seeing Clifton Collins Jr.

The movie is tightly focused. It's only 1 hour, 34 minutes, but every moment is used well. You get this piercing insight into LaBeouf's life. The scenes between him and his father are painful to watch, but they are mesmerizing. You almost cannot believe how bad of an influence his father was on him. It felt so uplifting to know he was processing all this and committed it to paper. It's definitely a heavy movie. There are (thankfully) moments of levity, but this is hard to watch.

I really, really enjoyed Honey Boy. Alma Har'el did a great job of directing it. This was her feature film directorial debut, and that relative inexperience (she has directed documentaries and short films) may have held the film back just slightly. I don't want to focus too much on that, because she does craft such a strong film. This movie is a booming success in my opinion. It deserved more end-of-the-year recognition. I sincerely hope this represents the redemption of Shia LaBeouf. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Peanut Butter Falcon, Manchester by the Sea, Wonder