--- title: "Beautiful Boy: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/beautiful-boy/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/beautiful-boy" critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 23 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Beautiful Boy (2018): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 23 reviews: 11 positive, 8 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with the strongest agreement centred on Timothée Chalamet’s vulnerable, convincing performance as Nic. Steve Carell also draws praise, particularly for the father-son relationship that gives the family drama its emotional force. Even several detractors admire the acting. Supporters find an empathetic account of addiction’s effects on a family, with a welcome reluctance to offer easy answers. The spread is wide, however, and the performances persuade more consistently than the storytelling. Reservations cluster around a repetitive relapse-and-recovery cycle, awkward shifts in time and underwritten women; some critics also question the treatment of wealth and privilege. Music divides opinion directly: Deadline finds it evocative, while Slant Magazine considers the choices too obvious. The Hollywood Reporter offers a sharper dissent, finding the film narrow-minded and emotionally unconvincing despite its performers, while warmer reviews accept the structural problems as limitations rather than reasons to dismiss it. ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 3/4/4. 14 January 2019. Strong performances and emotional nuance make the film a devastating, empathetic character study, despite a shaky and repetitive structure. The review especially praises Chalamet’s volatile, vulnerable performance and the film’s refusal to offer easy answers. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/beautiful-boy) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 4/5. 13 October 2018. The review describes the film as an emotionally pummeling drama. It praises Timothée Chalamet’s performance as cementing his standing as a major talent. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/beautiful-boy) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 January 2019. Jolin finds the film an impressively intimate and affecting family drama, though its portrayal of the women in the family feels underwritten. He especially praises Timothée Chalamet’s painfully convincing performance as Nic. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/beautiful-boy-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2018. Turan finds the film worth seeing despite familiar and sometimes dramatically unsatisfying elements. He singles out Timothée Chalamet’s extraordinary, authentic performance as its chief strength. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-beautiful-boy-review-timothee-chalamet-20181011-story.html) ## Sight and Sound — Katie Goh Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2018. Goh finds the film faltering as a narrative but succeeding as a character study of a father and son. She singles out Timothée Chalamet’s nuanced, standout performance as Nic for praise. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/beautiful-boy-first-look-messy-destruction-father-son-bond) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2018. Gleiberman finds the film authentic and compelling, though staid and emotionally restrained. He praises Chalamet’s transformative performance and the film’s tender, truthful portrayal of addiction’s effects on families. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/beautiful-boy-review-timothee-chalamet-1202932186/) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2018. Festival review. The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst identifies Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet as stars but does not single out a performance or other aspect for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/beautiful-boy-toronto-review/5132434.article) ## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2018. Festival review. The critic finds the film flawed but raw and haunting, with its repeated relapse cycle eventually becoming predictable. Chalamet’s performance is singled out for its effortless range and emotional force. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/08/beautiful-boy-review-timothee-chalamet-shines-in-grim-addiction-drama) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2018. The page could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the supplied content. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/11/movies/beautiful-boy-review-steve-carell.html) ## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich Rating 2.5/4. 18 September 2018. Uhlich finds the film emotionally affecting but weighed down by schmaltz. He praises the father-son dynamic while criticizing the overly on-the-nose musical choices. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/beautiful-boy-2018/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 3/5. 20 January 2019. O'Sullivan finds the film fantastically enjoyable, though she suspects it presents the Sheff family too favorably. She praises Chalamet's convincing portrayal of Nic's self-disgust. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/beautiful-boy-review-timothee-chalamets-journey-to-hell-is-a-pleasure-to-watch-a4042466.html) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 3/5. Staunton finds the drama sobering and heartfelt, while praising its restraint. He singles out the loving, occasionally fractious father-son relationship as the film’s emotional strength. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nmaf8z/beautiful-boy/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2018. Edelstein finds the film uneven and overly earnest, though it ultimately takes hold. He singles out Timothée Chalamet’s nuanced, compelling performance as its triumph. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/beautiful-boy-proves-that-timothe-chalamet-is-the-real-deal.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2018. Festival review. McCarthy finds the film narrow-minded and emotionally unconvincing, despite its strong performers. He singles out the end-credits monologue by Nic as the picture’s best moment. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/beautiful-boy-review-1141182/) ## The Skinny — Caitlin Quinlan Rating 4/5. 15 January 2019. The review finds the film profoundly moving, despite some concerns about how it addresses wealth and privilege. It particularly praises Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet’s empathetic performances and connection. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/tiff-2018-beautiful-boy) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 10 October 2018. Hammond finds the film moving and effective as a family drama, while noting that its structure is challenging. He especially praises Timothée Chalamet’s heartbreaking performance and the film’s evocative use of music. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2018/10/beautiful-boy-review-steve-carell-and-timothee-chalamet-drug-addiction-drama-meth-1202479772/) ## /Film — Marshall Shaffer Rating 7.5/10. 9 September 2018. Festival review. The critic finds the film moving overall, especially in its portrayal of addiction’s effects on a father and son. They praise Carell and Chalamet’s performances but fault the film for sidelining the women in the story. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/560861/beautiful-boy-review-tiff/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B-. 12 October 2018. Festival review. Goldberg finds the film emotionally honest and essential, though its repeated relapse-and-recovery cycle drains its momentum. He praises the performances by Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet for making the father and son feel human rather than simplified figures. [Read the review](https://collider.com/beautiful-boy-review-steve-carell/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 October 2018. The critic finds the film an undeniably wrenching but sometimes overlong exploration of addiction. Chalamet and Carell’s performances are singled out for praise, alongside the effective use of music. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/beautiful-boy-film-review-timothee-chalamet/) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 3 out of 5. 11 October 2018. The review finds the film honest but too glossy and generic to fully convey addiction’s devastation. It praises Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet’s performances, while faulting the shallow characterization and distracting shifts in time. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/beautiful-boy-review/) ## Consequence — Clint Worthington Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2018. Worthington finds the film emotionally shallow and formulaic, despite its appeal as an actors’ showcase. He praises Carell and Chalamet’s performances, especially their compelling scenes together. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2018/10/film-review-beautiful-boy/) ## NME — Hollie Geraghty Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). Geraghty finds the film timely and essential but ultimately underwhelming. She praises Chalamet’s performance while criticizing the awkward structure and overbearing soundtrack. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/beautiful-boy-film-review-essential-underwhelming-2439999) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 January 2019. The review finds the film’s tension limp and its portrayal of the family’s struggle frustratingly weak. It praises Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, whose performances benefit from a screenplay that avoids melodrama. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/beautiful-boy-2018-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/beautiful-boy.md