Shia LaBeouf is no stranger to public self-reflection. In 2012 it was his being the lone observer of a performance specifically dedicated to implying his purported underlying cannibalistic tendencies. Now, he shows us the story that made a young actor into the polarizing pop culture sensation in his latest feature, Honey Boy. What’s more impressive is LaBeouf’s unbiased recounting of the events preceding his time in rehab. It is during this time that the character based upon LaBeouf, Otis Lort, is given the space to explore his alcoholism and how it is tied to his childhood growing up in the spotlight with a contentious relationship to his father.
LaBeouf capitalizes on a year of amazing features as he delivers an enthrallingly gritty performance as James Lort, Otis’ father and manager who once aspired to be a performer himself. Having also written the screenplay, LaBeouf crafts a character whose dimensionality grows throughout the film whilst exploring the dichotomy of simultaneously being the victim and the villain. The two actors responsible for portraying the titular “Honey Boy,” Lucas Hedges and Noah Jupe, are similarly phenomenal in their roles as the older and younger iterations of Otis. Hedges, who portrays the older and somewhat jaded Otis, perfectly captures the essence of a former child actor who has been through the wringer of stardom and come out on the other side battered and bruised. Conversely, Jupe, who at 14 years old has already racked up an impressive resume, portrays the younger, more vulnerable Otis who relies on his father for guidance and support in his career. The trio of talented actors comes together to create a harrowing portrait of a troubled family torn asunder by the demons of addiction.
One of the many things Honey Boy excels in is shining a light on the destructive tendencies of substance abuse. The connective thread that runs throughout the time-jumping narrative structure is addiction – most specifically alcoholism. The image of the older Otis, who is entering rehab after several encounters with the law, is superimposed upon James, who struggles with his sobriety alongside being Otis’ primary guardian. An image is created of the similarities between the father and son while also drawing a distinct contrast between them in that the younger is in the process of accepting treatment whilst the elder is in persistent denial of the true state of his condition. This depiction also serves to portray the long-term effects of alcoholism on those around the one afflicted by giving an explanation for how Otis wound up in this position without condoning them or placing either character on opposite sides of a binary of ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
Outside of the narrative structure and substance, the film is stunning. Director Alma Har’el and cinematographer Natasha Braier come together to create a visual theme familiar to many indie movies without the feeling of it being played out. Of particular note are the various pool scenes, which have become a staple of the indie coming-of-age genre. Despite the presence of what some may consider a trope, the creative team manage to create something that feels like a dreamscape, entrancing the viewer and drawing them further into the tumultuous world of James and Otis. Accompanying these dizzying visuals is a perfectly curated soundtrack. Each song slots perfectly into the narrative, feeling more like an extension of the film instead of a separate entity being superimposed on top. After all, isn’t that the purpose of a truly great accompaniment?
Overall, the entire team behind Honey Boy have created a film that can be considered beautiful in every sense of the word. It will stick with the audience long past the first viewing and ultimately leave them wanting to rush to a second wondering why they’ve slept on Shia LaBeouf all this time.
5/5 STARS