Does Ben die in Ben Is Back

7/10

Excellent performance, great topic, but overall an underwhelming story

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.

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6/10

falters after a strong start

Warning: Spoilers

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.

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7/10

Ben is Back (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

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8/10

Thoroughly engaged

Warning: Spoilers

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.

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

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

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8/10

we suffer the unfortunate things

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.

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8/10

Julia Roberts on top of her game

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.

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Roberts is a superb mom in a difficult story.

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.

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10/10

An emotional rollercoaster

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.

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6/10

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

"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.

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3/10

Roberts and Lucas were the only two that were needed.

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.

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8/10

A straightforward yet poignant tale of a mother's undying love and support for her son

Ben is Back is a drama film written and directed by Peter Hedges (Pieces Of April, Dan in Real Life, The Odd Life of Timothy Green). Starring Julia Roberts. and Lucas Hedges (the latter of whom is the son of the writer/director), it is a straightforward yet poignant tale of a mother's undying love and support for her son.

On Christmas Eve, Holly Burns (Julia Roberts) arrives home to discover her drug addicted son Ben (Lucas Hedges) waiting for her in the driveway. Surprised that he has left rehab so soon, Holly learns from Ben that his sponsor told him that a trip home for Christmas would do him well. While initially hesitant, Holly eventually accepts this explanation and welcomes Ben back into the family, under the condition he never leaves her sight for the following 24 hours.

Well-acted and frequently emotional, Ben is Back offers a down-to-earth approach to drug addiction, showcasing the long term effects it can have on someone's friends and family. The almost documentarian perspective director Peter Hedges adopts for this film successfully grounds it in reality, allowing room for its lead characters to develop into three-dimensional beings. Both Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges give excellent performances as mother and son. Roberts in particular should strike a chord with any concerned mother while Hedges should make recovering drug addicts yearn for a loving parent to offer them comfort. However, the remainder of the film's supporting cast felt underused, with the exception of Ben's sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton) who had some nice moments, and the plot does tend to feel like an overly long anti-drug PSA at times. Even though these might seem trivial, it becomes noticeable during certain scenes that could have done with more hard-hitting drama. Despite that, this film is certainly worth seeing for the great acting alone.

I rate it 7.5/10

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5/10

No scene was very memorable.

The Story: I was waiting for the "highlight" of this movie the whole time.... nothing! Nothing extremely scary or sad or shocking, just very flat. Didn't really get my full attention. At the end of the movie, my reaction was "that is it?"

The Directing: Julia Roberts did a wonderful job portraying being a mom who loves so much about her children. She put in so much emotion. Unfortunately, the script wasn't that excellent. No scene was very memorable.

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2/10

Excessively Melodramatic

Excessively melodramatic to the point it strained credulity (i.e. not too believable). Acting, too, overly dramatic. Predictable family issues. Not predictable, and laughably so, was the cute little doggy theft (I see why they didn't cast a pit bull for that role.). Sorry, so predictable throughout I had to save some life & ff through most of it. I have seen so many AA type meetings in movies, all saying the same thing, I feel like a member.

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7/10

A strong start

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.

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7/10

A strong and touching movie about the problem of drugs

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.

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10/10

Insights into drug addiction in an impressive cinematic exploration

Peter Hedges (About a Boy, Pieces of April, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) both wrote and directed this excellent film and in doing so alerts us to the rising problems with the opioid pandemic that continues to grow in both our youth and adult population. The problem is exceptionally disturbing: the film captures that, and in doing so offers some of the finest writing and acting of the past year.

The plot follows the charming yet troubled Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges), who returns home to his unsuspecting family one fateful Christmas Eve. Ben's wary mother Holly Burns (Julia Roberts) welcomes her beloved son's return, but soon learns he is still very much in harm's way. During the 24 hours that may change their lives forever, Holly must do everything in her power to avoid the family's downfall. The family is biracial, a strong addition to the impact of the film, with Courtney B. Vance as Ben's stepfather Neal - Ben and Ivy (Kathryn Newton) are by Holly's first marriage while Lacey (Mia Fowler) and Liam (Jakari Fraser) are the product of her marriage to Neal. The cast also includes excellent cameos by David Zaldivar, Rachel Bay Jones, Alexandra Park and others.

The impact of the film is extraordinary: Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges (whose father is Peter Hedges!) bring credibility to the roles of the mother son relationship, including the hope and perseverance of belief that allows us to understand the mindset of drug addiction better than any film to this date. Why these two exceptional performances were overlooked at Oscar time begs explanation.

BEN IS BACK solidifies the importance of Lucas Hedges as an actor of immense stature. This is one of last year's finest motion pictures, with a very important insight to a major problem. Highly Recommended.

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8/10

Julia Roberts best performance!

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.

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7/10

Mother battles her son's addiction

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.

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4/10

4

This movie gave me the a feeling of incompletion. The acting is really great, the story off beat, but Ben´s mom is depictes almost as impeccable. So the whole plot becomes like a glimpse of an episode of something, but then it finishes. Produced for a different agenda, maybe. Amazon? Rather unsatisfying, although the opioid crisis is an important social issue. Good to be addressed, but this movie left me with the feeling of having wasted my time, unfortunately.

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4/10

Disappointingly ineffective

Sadly, this film, with a story that should tear us to shreds and leave us scattered all over the room, failed to convince me on any level. Whether the screenplay, direction, editing, or acting, I just never believed. Julia Roberts tries her darndest but can't overcome the weak writing; it's the first time I've ever found the amazing Ms. Roberts to be ineffective. Lucas Hedges, thus far terrific in other roles, is too obviously "acting" here. Likewise the rest of the cast fails to convince at any point.

The whole thing looks like one of those films that was shot in 10 days. And everybody looks like they're trying way too hard to make it work. For me, it just didn't.

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5/10

Addict Home For Christmas

Warning: Spoilers

I saw "Ben is Back", starring Julia Roberts-Money Monster, Valentine's Day; Lucas Hedges-Lady Bird, Labor Day; Courtney B. Vance-The Mummy_2017, Space Cowboys and Kathryn Newton-Big Little Lies_tv, Lady Bird. This is a movie about a drug addicted boy coming home for Christmas. Lucas plays the addict, Julia and Courtney are his parents and Kathryn is his sister. It's Christmas Eve when Lucas shows up on his family's doorstep, saying that his sponsor gave him the OK. After everything Lucas has done in the past-to support his drug habit-nobody trusts him. Julia hides things-prescription drugs, jewelry,etc-and tells Lucas that she is going to be by his side during his entire visit. She even goes to the bathroom with him. She also gives him drug tests. Lucas tells her that everything is fine and he is clean and sober. But, is he? In case you don't know, drug addicts lie. It is a dilemma. I guess this would be interesting to people having their own close experiences with drug addicts but I didn't care for it that much. It's rated "R" for language and drug use and has a running time of 1 hour & 43 minutes. It's not one that I would buy on DVD. Unless you are more interested in the subject matter than I was, I would wait for it to come to cable tv.

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6/10

Ben is back and so is Hedges

Warning: Spoilers

"Ben Is Back" is a new American English-language movie that premiered in 2018 and took until January 2019 to make it here to Germany. It runs for over 100 minutes and was written and directed by Peter Hedges. So it is certainly no coincidence that his son Lucas plays the central male character. He is a recent Oscar nominee with an underdog shot this year too, probably rather for another film than this one here, but surprisingly not too many are talking about him despite him being among the mostg talented his age group has to offer, perhaps because most people talk about Chalamet these days who has another film in the Oscar race this year too again. Anyway, back to this one here. Hedges may be the male lead, but he does not have the most screen time. This goes easily to Julia Roberts, who really has all the material too, so it is almost a bit surprising she did not make bigger waves this awards season and another nomination seems highly unlikely for her at the Oscars, perhaps because the film is pretty simple story-wise for 100 minutes even. A drug-addicted boy comes back to his mother and her (partly new) family and the two bond again. Then the family's dog is abducted and the rest is a rescue mission that may bring everybody to their limits again. That''s the film in short. I could write a whole lot about individual scenes, but I will not do it so much now. Instead lets take a look at Roberts' character again. Her baddass moments feel cringeworthy. She has mildly funny scenes, like the toilet one very early on, but also real drama, her desperation when her son manages to trick her and get away and finally of course when she tries to revive him. By the way how did the dog really ran exactly this way? A bit unrealistic. But yeah, the dog's fate and also the son's fate at the very end make it obvious that despite all the drama, this is still a bit of a feel-good movie and they certainly weren't ready for an open, let alone unhappy ending. One thing I thought was quite a shame in my opinion is how underused a great actor like Vance was in this film. He has very little to work with, maybe a bit when they discover the burglary and well the scene when they talk about the money he gave his wife for her son's therapy is what stays in the mind the most. The only thing that stays in the mind about him. Other than that, he is reduced to stupid liberal race bait comments à la "If he was Black, he'd be in jail right now". I am not saying they should have constructed a story line for this character, but yeah it should have been more than it was eventually. Overall, this is a rocksolid movie with 2 or 3 very good moments, but also with one or two lengths, even if they aren't that serious and certainly no negative deal breakers. But even if the search sequence is intense in the sense if she will find her son alive (after the question if the dog will live), it eventually just turns into a Roberts acting showpiece and lacks a bit on the story-telling site. The best example is how she does not change one word with the guy who found the dog if he saw the son or so. Just no attention shall be taken away from Roberts. And she is good I guess. There is nothing she has not done in other films and there is always a bit of an overacting danger with her, but the character somewhat justifies it here. By the way liked Newton too on a completely unrelated side-note and would have been fine with her having more screen time as I would have been with Vance. So as a whole, this film deserves to be seen, especially if you are a bigger Julia Roberts fan than myself. It is not best of the year material or anything in any department, but worth the 100 minutes. I give it a thumbs-up.

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3/10

Lacked any kind of punch

Warning: Spoilers

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.

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What a captivating and engrossing film

This film tells the story of a teenager who goes back home from rehab for Christmas.

The story is really good, because it completely captivates and touches me. I find every part of me rooting for the characters at the end of the film. Tears fall regularly. The most amazing thing is that, even given the dark subject matter, the film manages not to feel sombre or depressing. I find myself lost in thoughts after the film, trying to feel the characters' hopes, dreams and pain. I think this film is a must see.

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