Beautiful Boy: film review
David Sheff wrote about the struggle of dealing with his son Nic's methamphetamine addiction in his 2008 memoir. Now Sheff's story has reached Hollywood. 'Beautiful Boy', the film starring Steve Carell as David and Timothee Chalamet as Nic has been released this week
By 
Suzy Walker
Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy is the devastating depiction of the damage addiction wreaks on a family.
Steve Carrell and Timothée Chalamet star as father and son with Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan starring as the step-mother and mother. Directed by Felix Van Groeningen, in his English-language feature debut, the film opens with father David Sheff using his journalistic credentials to research why his son has become addicted.
With 200 people dying every day of drug over-dose and drugs being the biggest killer of people under 50 (in the US), it’s perhaps question relevant to all of us. The film explores addiction through a very human story of the love of a father for his son.
The juxtaposition of flashbacks to the sweet, loving young boy to the adult young man and addict who lies and steals from his family is incredibly moving and sometimes difficult to watch as Nic recovers and then relapses over and over again.
A sobering watch but ultimately enlightening and hopeful.
Beautiful Boy is in cinemas now.
Read our interview with David Sheff, author of Beautiful Boy, here.
