Beautiful Boy
This father-and-son story really hit me, especially knowing it’s based on a true story. What makes it even more meaningful is that the dad (Steve Sheff) is a journalist for Rolling Stone and had once interviewed John Lennon. The title Beautiful Boy suddenly feels so intentional, like it carries that emotional and cultural weight behind it.
After watching Euphoria, I feel like I understand a bit more about what a troubled teen goes through, and also how helpless it can feel for parents. Beautiful Boy captures that tension so well: the constant question of whether helping is actually helping, or just enabling.
Nick’s character really reminded me of Rue Bennett, someone struggling deeply with addiction and mental health. The film doesn’t try to simplify his pain, and that’s what makes it so real and hard to watch.
The most heartbreaking moments were when Nick kept running away from rehab, always trying to come back home, like he still needed that safety. You can feel his dad slowly losing patience and hope. And that one phone call—when Nick reaches out, but his dad says he can’t help him anymore—was devastating. His dad also tried crystal meth, which Nick was addicted to, to understand the feeling of getting high. It shows the emotional breaking point, where love is still there, but it’s buried under exhaustion and fear.
Overall, it’s such a powerful film about love, limits, and the painful reality of trying to save someone you care about.
I'll definitely want to watch the memoirs Nick Sheff wrote!