Honey Boy review

HONEY BOY: 

SHIA LABEOUF, NOAH JUPE, AND LUCAS HEDGES ARE AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE IN THIS HEAVY BUT INSPIRING DRAMA ABOUT A BOY AND HIS FATHER!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

AMAZON STUDIOS

Noah Jupe in Honey Boy

            Shia LaBeouf (Transformers franchise, Lawless, The Peanut Butter Falcon) shines a light on his fascinating but rough childhood and early adult years in Honey Boy, written by and starring LaBeouf based on a script he wrote for therapeutic purposes while in rehab due to alcoholism and drug addiction. The film is directed by Alma Har’el (Bombay Beach) in her narrative feature directorial debut and is basically a fictionalized autobiography on Shia’s childhood depicting his relationship with his father and also showing his early adult years getting through rehab. 

            Shia’s a hit-or-miss actor in my opinion but lately he’s been on fire with this as his passion project and The Peanut Butter Falcon which was released earlier this year earning unanimous praise from critics and audiences for both films. While I unfortunately missed Peanut Butter Falcon I can gladly say that Honey Boy is genuinely fantastic and a very deep, thoughtful, and inspiring journey into the rough life of child stardom and the impacts it can have during adulthood, Shia knocks it out of the park in writing and acting with equally strong performances by Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Lady Bird, Boy Erased) and Noah Jupe (Wonder, A Quiet Place, Ford v. Ferrari) to boot. 

            The film flashes back and forth between 1995 and 2005 and chronicles the life of Otis Lort as a twelve-year-old child star (Dupe) and a twenty-two-year-old movie star suffering from alcohol problems (Hedges). Otis is forced to go to a rehab facility after crashing his car and getting into a violent, drunken altercation with the police where he must retell and relive traumatic memories of his rough childhood and difficult relationship with his father James (LaBeouf), a former rodeo clown who as Shia himself described “Was as tough as nails”. 

            In 1995, Otis worked as a child actor accompanied on set by James and the two of them live in a terrible motel complex. James has been four years sober but is clearly on edge, unpredictable, manic, and very aggressive, also he’s pretty much banking on his son’s success just to pay the bills, constantly forcing Otis to rehearse his scripts, and not allowing him to have a normal childhood due to his rising stardom. 

             So, yeah Otis has a lot to deal with whether past or present, in the past he needs to stand up to his father and tell him he needs to be a better dad with only the support of a mysterious Shy Girl (FKA Twigs) he befriended at the motel to give him confidence. Meanwhile, in the present Otis needs to make it through rehabilitation and let go of the past. 

            The film also stars Byron Bowers (The Eric Andre Show, The Chi, Concrete Cowboys) as Percy, Maika Monroe (The Guest, It Follows, Independence Day: Resurgence) as Sandra, Natasha Lyonne (Detroit Rock City, Orange is the New Black, Hello My Name is Doris) as Mom, Martin Starr (Freaks and Geeks, Silicon Valley, Spider-Man: Homecoming/Far From Home) as Alec, Laura San Giacomo (Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Just Shoot Me!, Saving Grace) as Dr. Moreno, Clifton Collins Jr. (The Last Castle, Thief, Westworld) as Tom, and newcomer Henrietta LaFowl as the World’s First Daredevil Chicken. 

            Overall, Honey Boy is a brutally honest and egoless journey into Shia LaBeouf’s life and much like what Iron Man was for Robert Downey Jr. it’s the film he needed after such a rocky past and is a sign of a strong comeback for the actor/writer. Shia makes a bold move by taking a therapeutic approach with this film but never to the point where it’s self-indulged, anyone can relate to this film in any shape or form whether you came from a broken-down family or had legal troubles in the past, this is heavy subject matter but it’s done with a lot of thought and comes from a unique background. 

            The performances by LaBeouf, Hedges, and Dupe are stellar and some of their best work I’ve ever seen. Shia especially because he portrays a fictionalized version of his dad and he completely transformed (no pun intended) from an obnoxious, awkward dork to a stern, strict, and aggressive man with a very tragic backstory, Shia is giving a million percent whenever he’s on-screen in the movie and is definitely worth at least an Oscar nomination for his performance. 

            Honey Boy isn’t just the movie Shia LaBeouf needed but it’s also the movie we all need after frequently hearing about Shia’s legal issues and disrespectful behavior in the past. If anything, the movie shows just how much Shia has improved and matured in recent years and I have a whole new amount of respect for him after seeing this movie and is an emotional and moving journey worth checking out, seriously go see it, JUST DO IT!