Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy

Based on the bestselling memoirs by journalist David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy is a deeply affecting drama about addiction, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between parent and child. Directed by Felix van Groeningen, the film traces the harrowing and hopeful journey of a family struggling to navigate the cycles of relapse and recovery.

Steve Carell delivers a quietly powerful performance as David, a father desperate to save his son Nic (Timothée Chalamet), whose promising future unravels under the grip of meth addiction. Chalamet’s portrayal—nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA—captures both the seduction and the devastation of dependency with raw authenticity.

Van Groeningen’s direction, supported by a luminous script and tender cinematography, resists sentimentality, instead finding beauty in moments of truth, love, and persistence. The film’s nonlinear structure mirrors the chaos of addiction, while its tone remains deeply compassionate—honoring both the pain and the enduring hope of those who refuse to give up.

Beautiful Boy is a profoundly human story that transcends its subject matter—a meditation on forgiveness, empathy, and the fragile strength that binds families together even in their darkest moments.

Screening With:

Silver Light

Canadian Shorts Showcase

A man returns to his hometown for the funeral of his male high school sweetheart, and has to confront the family that didn’t know their secret as well as his own feelings of loss and regret.

5 mins
Canada, 2018
Dir. Brad McDermott
Language: English