Ben Is Back (2018) User Reviews

Thoroughly engaged

[nramirez51 · 8/10 · 21 February 2019]

I was thoroughly engaged throughout this film. And I probably should be. I am 32 years old with a mother who died when I was 26 to a heart attack from a drug overdose, and a father that died at the beginning of 2018 from alcoholism and liver failure. I have two brothers who went through drug addiction growing up in their teens through twenties, and my aunts were in Julia Roberts shoes in this movie.

I was even like the sister here - cracking jokes everyone they tried to get clean and not trusting them; getting them into trouble. My aunts, so desperate to get them clean, did anything they could to help. And I mean anything. Thinking that it would be their last time or it would be the time they finally got better.

I am writing this because I read a review saying that Julia Roberts character was unbelievable - her going through this entire journey to find Ben. And I'm here to say that yes it is unbelievable but it's also very much a real thing. I watched it. I watched aunts travel through the streets of Detroit in the dead of winter to find my brothers, i watched them get literally shot at as they grabbed them to take them home. This may seem like some lifetime movie that could never happen - but it does. And it happened to me.

This movie requires people who have never experienced this to accept it as fiction or some stretched reality. But for those of who lived this, it's a reminder of what we've gone through. And to call this unbelievable is probably justified - because it is unbelievable the things family will go through for their loved ones. Unbelievable and impossible are two very different things. The things this mother did is very possible, and very real, albeit unbelievable. Family is unbelievable when it comes to saving the ones they love.

For anyone wondering, my two brothers are both 6/7 years clean and doing much better than we ever thought they could. And yes, I have saved my brothers life before- I watched him cough up black tar as his entire body "locked up" from a reaction and called 911 for them to save his life. And while i laid on the floor next to my mother crying as she laid lifeless, and watched as the doctors shook their head as they couldn't save my father, I still know that there are people that need help and that should get help- and if a movie like this can even one person go the extra set to help someone who needs help - than these movies are worth more than the world.

Julia Roberts on top of her game

[KarenYVR · 8/10 · 8 October 2018]

Ben Is Back follows a story of a young addict returning home for holidays by putting the lives of his family members and those who he had affected as an addict dramatically changes within 24 hours. A triumphal performance of Julia Roberts as the mother, who is fighting for salvation of her child, is probably one of the best of her career. Lucas Hedges, who plays Ben, also son of the director Peter Hedges, is on a phenomenal rise, appearing in not one but two Oscar-worthy performances this year, proving that Hollywood can still hold on the line with decent young actors such as Hedges as old talents slowly fade out. A passionate project that is ambitious, raw and tender, centered on the redemption addicts can get from their family.

Excellent performance, great topic, but overall an underwhelming story

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 20 February 2019]

Writer/director Peter Hedges did a better job on his 4th directorial film than he did with his story. The 103 min length was decent, but the pacing felt really slow and lacked any luster or peaks in its screenplay. The message was strong and powerful, but I think it was under-emphasized and too typical to get a powerful message across, well, powerfully. The casting was great and all performances were very convincing. This film is certainly a must see to open the eyes of society on how addition can destroy many lives, not just the person addicted. Would I recommend it? Yes. Would I see it again? No, it lacked that luster and oomph for me to want to see it again. It's a 7/10 from me.

Ben is Back (2018)

[rockman182 · 7/10 · 11 December 2018]

So, Lucas Hedges is having quite a year. A bully in Mid 90s, a gay teen who must endure conversion therapy in Boy Erased. And now in Ben is Back he is a recovering addict whose opioid addiction has caused major problems between him and his family. Directed by Peter Hedges, who also happens to be Lucas' father, this is a simple but effective film that deals with a crisis that many parents have to face. This one quietly arrived in theaters but its one to watch.

The film is about Ben, who recently returns home having been sober for 77 days. His mom wants to give him the benefit of the doubt although she is weary about whether he is using or not. Ben soon realizes that his old ways catch up to him and it causes a danger to his family. Ben tries to wrong the rights and fight off the temptation of the past, and his mom (played by Julia Roberts) strives to remain at his side to make sure that she doesn't lose her son.

I like the recent waves of films that are covering drug addiction. Working in that counseling field I see it daily and see what a problem it is. You can never be clear of your demons and relapse is a normality. I think Lucas Hedges has one of his strongest performances yet, not that that's a surprise because he's good in everything. Best Julia Roberts performance in a while as well, at least for me. Its a simple plot and takes place over the course of a day or so but its a deep story that engulfs you from the opening scene.

I don't know if this is going to get award season love but I'd like for it to get nominated for its original screenplay and some acting plaudits. Its easily identifiable, and the characters are strong and driven, a testament to the actors who commit to the performances. Wouldn't have minded this thing being 10-20 minutes longer because not a minute is wasted here.

7.5/10

falters after a strong start

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 7 December 2018]

Greetings again from the darkness. So many families have been thrown into turmoil due to a loved one's drug addiction. Count writer/director Peter Hedges among those, so know this is more than just another film for him ... it's personal. Mr. Hedges previous work includes the underrated PIECES OF APRIL (2003) and DAN IN REAL LIFE (2007), as well as an Oscar nomination for his ABOUT A BOY (2002) screenplay. This time out, he cast his own son Lucas in the titular role of Ben. It was a wise choice.

When your son is checked into drug rehab, and you pull up to your house on Christmas Eve and see him pacing in the front yard, should your first reaction be total joy or immense trepidation? Are you thrilled to see him or worried for your other 3 kids - each who is in the car with you? Such is the moment for Holly Burns (played by Julia Roberts). With excitement from her two youngest, and pleas of "no" from her teenage daughter Ivy (Kathryn Newton), Holly bolts from the car and embraces Ben (Lucas Hedges), her eldest and most self-destructive child.

What follows is the ultimate example of inner-conflict for both mother and son. Holly is simultaneously happy to see her son and apprehensive for his well-being and that of her family. Ben is putting up an "all is well" front, while carrying the guilt of lying through his teeth. This initial sequence is by far the most powerful segment of the movie, and adding punch to these scenes are Ms. Newton and Courtney B Vance as Holly's husband and Ben's stepfather. Lucas Hedges and Kathryn Newton are immensely talented and two of the fastest rising young stars. He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, and she is recognizable from her work on "Big Little Lies".

After such a strong beginning, the story falters quickly as it spreads outside of the family home. At the local shopping mall, mother Holly spews vicious venom at the doctor who first prescribed the pain killer for Ben's sports injury. She blames the now dementia-riddled doctor for ruining her son's life - it's an all too obvious and overblown moment of a parent needing to place the blame elsewhere. Soon after, we truly fly off the rails as mother and son treat us to a tour of the cities drug-related highlights. When the family dog goes missing, most people post on Facebook for help. Not this family. They hop into the car and revisit all the drug havens and dealers from Ben's past. Of course, we do get the obligatory drug recovery meeting where Ben's soliloquy praises his mother (she's in attendance) and shows remorse for his many sins.

Every parent will understand the desperate feeling of mother Holly here or father David (Steve Carell) in BEAUTIFUL BOY, a similar-themed movie released earlier this year. We are also familiar with the deceptive and often dangerous actions of addicts, even those who were raised in our home. So while we are flexible in our judgement of Holly, Ms. Roberts' performance is just too showy and over-the-top here, though she'll likely be lauded for a dramatic role with only minimal dependence on her usual acting quirks. The first third of the movie is outstanding, however the rest comes across as an attempt to create intense drama when there's already plenty.

A strong start

[Jack_Brock · 7/10 · 27 December 2018]

This movie chronicles 24 hours in the life of a family after the oldest son comes home from rehab one Christmas eve.

The first part of the movie is good in it's illustration of the chaos and disruption drug addiction has on a family when one of their own is addicted.

The story starts out strong but delves in to unbelievable scenarios such as when the addict son goes after the drug dealer after a break in and theft of the family pet.

Good acting by both Julie Roberts and Lucas Hedges.

In the current spate of young-men-in-addiction, this one reveals the horror at home better than any other treatment.

[JohnDeSando · 18 December 2018]

In the many treatments of troubled young men this year (Boy Erased, Beautiful Boy, Burning, to name ones I'm aware of), Ben is Back is the most affecting. Ben (Lucas Hedges) has bolted from his rehab clinic to spend time with his loving family. Although the film devolves into a quasi-thriller, the first half or so depicts with alarming clarity what it means to have a heroin addict in the house, even for a day. It's hell.

His Mom, Holly (Julia Roberts), is the one most acutely aware about hiding anything that her son might use to get off the wagon. Holly is one of the strong women characters for this year, reminding that Roberts has the chops to pull of a heavily dramatic role, as she did in Erin Brockovich and August: Osage County. Hedges, like Roberts, gives a performance of his much shorter lifetime.

The household stress is shifted when Ben's pet dog is stolen for ransom to lure him back into the dealer game. Director Peter Hedges (father of Lucas) has mom and son searching for the dog but also for a connection that can erase Ben's addiction. Finding the dog is the action to make the film come alive and to show the audience the scary world of drug dealers.

By moving the action to the search outside the home, Hedges has lost the demanding drama of family adjustment including the teen sister, Ivy (Kathryn Newton), the two younger siblings, and the tough-love Dad, Neal (Courtney B. Vance). The world of dealers we have seen before, but such a slice of upper-middle class turmoil has been too infrequently portrayed. Even Beautiful Boy didn't involve the audience as much as Ben is Back does.

By adding the dealer turn of the screw, Hedges has revealed the convoluted and pain-giving world of addiction, now planted firmly in homelife, where even the streets must compete for tragedy and despair. Although Ben is Back has formulaic elements and an unfortunate clustering with other young-men lost films this year, it stands alone in revealing the horror addiction unleashes at home

"Ben Is Back" vs. "Beautiful Boy": and the winner is...

[paul-allaer · 6/10 · 22 December 2018]

"Ben Is Back" (2018 release; 103 min.) brings the story of Ben and his family. As the movie opens, it is Christmas Eve and Holly is watching her kids at their church choir practice. Upon returning home, Holly is stunned to see her son Ben waiting for them. It turns out Ben has been in rehab, but left the rehab place so as to spend Christmas with his family. Holly's teenage daughter (and Ben's sister) Ivy thinks this is a huge mistake. "This time it will be different', Holly tells her. When Holly's husband (and Ben's stepdad) Neal comes home, he insists that Ben must return to his rehab. After arguing, Holly and Neal compromise: Ben can stay for 24 hrs. but Holly will be with him every waking second... At this point we are less than 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from writer-director Peter Hedges ("The Odd Life of Timothy Green"). Here he delves into a topic that is getting much attention these days: a parent dealing with their son's addiction. The entire movie plays out over that 24 hrs. period that Ben shows up out of the blue. The big news is of course that Hedges cast his (Oscar-nominated) son Lucas Hedges as the addict. This is the 3rd movie in a span of 2 months I've seen starring Lucas Hedges: "Mid90s", "Boy Erased" and now this. He truly is one of the up-and-coming talents in Hollywood. But even better is Julia Roberts as his mom Holly. She perfectly conveys the sense of terror and desperation as she tries to keep control of the situation. "We can't save them, but you'll hate yourself if you don't try", comments a woman who lost her daughter to addiction. Which leads me to that other recent movie about the very same topic, albeit brought in a dramatically different way: "Beautiful Boy", starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet. When comparing these two films, the shortfalls of "Ben Is Back" become evident very quickly, in particular in the movie's last 45 min. when there are questionable plot holes the size of Manhattan for no apparent reason. In the end, "Ben Is Back" still is worth checking out for the strong performances of Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges. Kathryn Newton (as Ben's sister Ivy) also does quite well. But let's be clear: "Beautiful Boy" is the better movie.

"Ben Is Back" premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival to good acclaim. It finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended poorly (6 people, including myself). I honestly can't see this playing in theaters very long. For that the movie is too downbeat, even more so considering that we are in the Christmas-New Year's holidays. Maybe this will find a wider audience once it expands onto other platforms (and away from the year-end holidays). Either way, I encourage you to check it out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

A realistic take on addiction

[axvngey · 7/10 · 25 October 2020]

A realistic movie about how drugs destroy not only one's life, but also of those close to them.

It's a struggle that requires unquestioned devotion, support, and love. And it's a long and windy road.

Julia Roberts plays the mother role with great precision and feeling, and is the star of this movie.

An emotional rollercoaster

[arunothia · 10/10 · 12 October 2018]

Ben is Back has been directed really well. All actors have done an excellent job. I always felt that movies can't do what books do to me, but this movie proved an exception. I felt all shaky with emotion at the end of it. I really really hope that everyone suffering from addiction gets help just like Ben. Please, may everyone find real peace and happiness.

Written and Directed by His Dad

[dogmaticdogs · 6/10 · 25 December 2018]

Lucas Hedges had a wonderful start of a career. Attractive, and born to rich Hollywood connected parents, he was given opportunities to star in some really great films that most actors could only dream of, and he did well in them. Lately, however, he seems in over his head. His acting in Ben is Back and Boy Erased was just not believable. I am concerned he is turning into the next Jaden Smith with his parents giving him more than he is ready for, and him thinking he deserves it all and more.

The writing and direction by Lucas' dad was pretty weak.

Julia Roberts married to a domineering black man, and driving her son around to drug dens? Get serious people.

Lucas willing to kill himself to rectify a situation in which a drug dealer who is owed a debt has his crew break into Lucas' family home, kidnap the family pet, and hold it hostage as leverage, while being careful not to do too much damage or steal anything, and never once expressly threatening any real harm to the animal? Yes, you read that right. Not to mention that the drug dealer forgot to tell Lucas that he is holding the pet hostage, causing Lucas to spend all night looking for his lost lil buddy. Huh?

Crime bosses that look like they could get beaten up by the residents of your local nursing home, obsessed for months, if not years, about getting revenge for unpaid balances of less than $1,000? How slow can business be?

A serial addict over-dosing on one hit?

Women walking up to Lucas and saying "you're hot!"? Knowing that this was written by his dad, that is one proud papa, not to mention slightly creepy.

Gay sex for drugs with your high-school teacher? If you want to go for shocking, you have to at least try to be original.

It goes on and on.

I was hoping for a great independent film about addiction, but this is not it. If you want to see that, watch Requiem for a Dream. It is everything this movie is not. Another option, but not as epic as Requiem, would be Beautiful Boy. I like Lucas, but Lucas Hedges v. Timothée Chalamet is no contest. It is an interesting comparison in that Lucas and his dad are trying desperately to get Lucas on the same career trajectory as Timothee (i.e., Timothee does Call me By Your Name and Lucas follows with Boy Erased, Timothee does Beautiful Boy and Lucas follows with Ben is Back). However, whereas Timothee always shocks with a mind-blowingly convincing performance, Lucas is just pretty good.

All that said, I enjoyed the movie. Mainly because I find it fascinating to see what happens when you write a movie because you are 100% obsessed with your son achieving super-stardom by any means necessary. Talk about a case of stage parenting gone wild. Just wait for it to be released on cable and realize it is grade B at best.

we suffer the unfortunate things

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 27 May 2019]

Peter Hedges's "Ben Is Back" is what one might call a Christmas-adjacent movie: it takes place around Christmas but the plot doesn't relate to Christmas. In this case, a woman in a stable family goes home and finds that her son is there after having been in drug treatment. This opens the door to a series of unpleasant events.

Julia Roberts spent much of the 1990s in romantic comedies. This movie is nothing like those. It's got to be one of the grittiest movies of 2018. There were scenes that made me feel as if I was on pins and needles. It's far from the year's greatest movie, but the roughness alone makes it worth seeing.

In the end, the movie's message seems to be that parents must love their children, no matter how low the latter sink. At the very least, they should make an effort to do so. I hope that Hedges keeps turning out movies like this one.

Touching

[hiddenkittenconsultant · 7/10 · 12 January 2020]

Touching, entertaining, and sad. This movie is well done but feels just a hair unfinished. The actors are great

Roberts and Lucas were the only two that were needed.

[LordCommandar · 3/10 · 21 February 2019]

A parent dealing with their child and substance abuse, but Roberts and Lucas were the only two that were needed to make this story work. As a former cocaine user (thirty years clean now thank God) The story was OK. Nothing to write home about because I've seen much better films on the topic of drug addiction and substance abuse. I myself am a living witness on how drugs destroy lives and breaks a mother's heart. Overall a decent watch.

Roberts is a superb mom in a difficult story.

[TxMike · 27 April 2019]

My wife and I watched this movie at home, on BluRay from our public library.

Being quite old, I have had the pleasure of watching Julia Roberts "grow up" on screen, in roles that have evolved from romantic fluff to hard core mother of a troubled and addicted son. In this role is superb, she makes the story and dangers feel very real.

Her son Ben has been in a rehab facility for his drug addiction, right before Christmas in a New York community he shows up unexpectedly. He explains that he has been doing so well that his counselor told him he could go. We soon find out that wasn't true and Ben was far from weaned from his destructive habits. What ensues also involves some of the dealers and customers he had business with before, and the mother of a young girl who died with him.

It is a timely movie, with the widespread issues with addictive drug use. It is often difficult to watch but tells a worthwhile story.

Emotional

[av2009 · 7/10 · 5 May 2020]

This was a very emotional film. As someone who loves someone with an addiction, I empathized with Julia Roberts's character. My heart broke as I saw Ben battle with trying to make healthy choices and being tempted by his past. The story was painfully beautiful, and I encourage others to watch it.

Anchored by two strong leads, Ben is Back is a solid and confronting drama

[eddie_baggins · 7/10 · 30 July 2019]

Ben is Back is certainly not light entertainment but thanks to some solid direction from its director Peter Hedges and great lead turns from Julia Roberts and the increasingly impressive Lucas Hedges, this 24-hour tale of the life of recovering teenage drug addict Ben Burns and his return home on Christmas Eve is one worth seeking out.

At times leaning towards the slightly unbelievable and sometimes Hollywood cliche side of things, Back mostly remains on the right side of the ledger thanks to Roberts and Hedges and some solid doco-like directing that keeps things firmly moving in the right direction, as we are embedded with the Burns crew (namely Ben and Holly) as they work together to overcome a serious of issues they are facing as well as a quest they are on to find their stolen family dog.

It's an interesting concept and one not usually associated with the drug-addict sub-genre, a 24-hour like plot-line but it adds an underlying tension to Back which forgoes any flashbacks or character grounding scenes to instead let the story be played out in almost a real time manner as we slowly begin to understand past indiscretions and occurrences that have led the son and daughter combo of Ben and Holly to where they sit when we meet them on Christmas Eve.

In this duo we have a great double bill of Roberts and Hedges who very early on establish a great chemistry on screen that reverberates through the entire picture.

Sometimes prone to overacting or "awards" baiting moments, Roberts strips it right back as the powerful yet emotionally charged Holly in what's her best performance in years while Lucas Hedges on the back of supporting turns in the likes of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Mid90's and Lady Bird here further establishes himself as one of the best younger talents working today, making Ben a flawed, likable and totally believable creation.

These two performers go a long way to making the most of the films confronting nature, this really is a no-holds bar examination of drug addiction as we learn of what became of Ben and what lengths he went to in the past to fuel his unhealthy habit and its commendable that Back never shy's away from the intense nature of drug affected lives and what it does to families and friends, making this tale of love and family a highly watchable one even if it at times stretches the credibility meter ever so slightly.

Final Say -

Anchored by two great lead performances and an intriguing 24-hour narrative arc, Ben is Back is a solid Hollywood examination of drug addiction that doesn't shy away from the gritty reality of its subject matter. Not always easy viewing, Ben is Back is well worth checking out in the right frame of mind.

3 ½ awkward mall encounters out of 5

A strong and touching movie about the problem of drugs

[chiaragiacobelli · 7/10 · 15 August 2019]

The entire family of this movie is involved in the big problem of drugs and they fight to jump out from it, trying to help their son Ben to detoxify himself. But it is not easy and a Christmas with the family can bring him back, creating also some critical and dangerous situations to all the family. However, her mother never leaves him alone and they always fight together. It is a strong movie, very touching in some moments, so I liked it. It showes how drugs can change not only your life, but also the life of all the people near you. It makes think and know better this problem.

Mother battles her son's addiction

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 10 March 2019]

A drug addict who should be at rehab comes home for Christmas. His mom keeps watch on him. There are some interesting situations that keep this different. Liked the part she told off the doctor for getting her son hooked on painkillers. Not many movies about mother son bonding so it's interesting.

Lucas Hedges is the actor of choice for troubled youth and he doesn't disappoint. Julia Roberts is pretty here and looks younger than recent movies. She is quite moving as the mom trying to help her son fight addiction. The family involvement is also touching. Worth a watch.

Overall Good Acting, but not my kind of movie

[srobertson-75103 · 6/10 · 23 July 2019]

Ben is back was okay. From an acting standpoint it was outstanding, but I it was just a so-so movie to watch. It seemed like it took a long time to get to the point...and I'm trying to figure out what the point was. It was a film about addiction and how Ben was floundering back and forth on his recovery. I think he came home to right some of his past wrongs - even though he wasn't ready to see all of the people from his past drug days. He accomplished some of his goals for his return trip home (with his mother in tow due to her insistence). The ending sort of left you dangling. There was a glimmer of hope, but I would have rather had some type of resolution after having invested almost 2 hours watching it. I know real life isn't that way...but this was a movie and it would have been nice to have a feeling like you knew what happened to all of them.

Julia Roberts best performance!

[bratpap · 8/10 · 23 December 2018]

Lucas Hedges continues to impress me with his performances (the church scene was a real heartbreaker), but Julia Roberts really blew me away as the carrying mother who will do anything to protect her son.

Hedges and Roberts are both so fantastic

[karlorsen · 7/10 · 25 April 2019]

From the film the boy Hedge is doing things very well and although his role is quite interesting and is one of the strongest points of this story, who is more rewarding is Julia Roberts, who delivers her best performance since August: Osage County and she reminds you that she can still act quite well and honestly it's good to see her like that again.

An exceptional, outstanding, phenomenal performance by Julia Roberts

[soslocks · 10/10 · 27 February 2019]

Ben is Back was a remarkably touching movie so close to the heart. A highly underrated movie with Julia Roberts proving yet again the essence of acting. How could this movie or at least Julia Roberts not be an Oscar Winner, or even more so, how does Rami Malek (his performance not even close to Freddie Mercury...) and as for Lady Gaga - REALLY!!!

Julia deserved a better sparring partner

[jjdausey · 6/10 · 13 December 2018]

Lucas Hedges was good but just didn't dazzle me in any way. Julia gives so much and his subtlety - or blandness - left me wanting more. Would have loved to have seen someone new with more edge essay the role.

Lacked any kind of punch

[SarcasticBella · 3/10 · 30 December 2018]

In my opinion, the trailer, once again, is the entire movie.

I found myself so bitterly angry and both Ben and Holly through the entirety of the movie. Holly, as the typical enabler, wants to blame everyone but Ben for his drug addiction.

It's the doctor's fault for prescribing him pain killers after his snowboarding accident. It's the history teacher's fault for giving him codeine and other pills. But when Maggie, Ben's childhood friend, whom he got addicted, dies, that's not Ben's fault.

In a sick and twisted quest to "save her baby boy" she puts herself and her entire family in danger. Forget her husband and three other children. Ben is all that matters.

And then, just when you're about as angry as you can be. The end.

Movies over.

Hope you weren't wanting any closure.