After reading “Beautiful Boy,” the true story of a father’s journey through his son’s meth addiction, I became emotionally attached. Therefore, when I found out they were coming out with a movie, I immediately added the premiere date to my calendar. Almost as touching as the book, the movie was definitely worth my time.

Directed by Felix Van Groeningen, “Beautiful Boy” is based on two award-winning memoirs written by David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff. The movie takes place in the San Francisco area where actors Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet flawlessly portray the tear jerking father-son relationship as Nic struggles with meth-addiction. Together, they cycle through the emotional rollercoaster of facing an addiction crisis, an attempt in recovery and a devastating relapse.

The film mainly focused on the parental side, showing David’s determination as he attempts to save his son from this horrible addiction. It also depicts the toll Nic put on his family and how the bliss of the high he is searching for has taken over his life.
The movie dives deep into how Nic used his charming personality to manipulate the ones who loved him, including David, who at first is determined to “cure” Nic, but slowly loses hope as the addiction progresses.

Although Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet did a phenomenal job of portraying the lives of David and Nic Sheff, it didn’t quite capture the heart of the story as well as the book did. Having read the book, I was able to feel the connection to the characters that I would not have felt if I just watched the movie. So, if you are planning on seeing “Beautiful Boy,” I highly recommend reading the book first in order to truly capture the power this story holds.