Synopsis
The story of a child star attempting to mend his relationship with his law-breaking, alcohol-abusing father over the course of a decade, loosely based on Shia LaBeouf’s life.
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Cast
- Shia LaBeoufJames Lort
- Lucas HedgesOtis Lort (22 years old)
- Noah JupeOtis Lort (12 years old)
- Byron BowersPercy
- Laura San GiacomoDr. Moreno
- FKA TwigsShy Girl
- Natasha LyonneMom
- Maika MonroeSandra
- Clifton Collins Jr.Tom
- ScarTiny
Recommendations
- 85
TheWrap
To tell someone else’s life story — especially when it’s being told with such brutal honesty — is impressive. To do so with with warmth, intellect, and vulnerability is a Herculean feat. - 83
The Playlist
Honey Boy may center on the impressive portrayals of three talented actors, but it’s the woman behind the camera that makes it soar. You simply can’t wait to see what she does next. - 80
Film Threat
The beautiful surprise of Honey Boy is it never feels like LaBeouf revels in the chance to put the spotlight on himself. He wrote the film while in rehab and every moment of the movie feels like an artist in search of a desperately craved and needed catharsis. - 75
IndieWire
Even as Honey Boy settles into the tropes of a familiar coming-of-age saga, it’s an admirable variation — the earnest attempt by an elusive movie star to bring his mythology down to Earth. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Honey Boy is not a self-justifying cri de coeur or a prankish exercise in narcissism, but a sensitive, sincere portrait of a child actor's dysfunctional upbringing and its devastating fallout. - 67
The A.V. Club
This is actually a fairly conventional indie drama. - 67
The Film Stage
Whether intentionally intended or not, this earnest endeavor does wonders to enact sympathy and overturn any negative public perception of his outbursts, even if it can feel more like self-therapy than a fully-formed film. - 60
New York Magazine (Vulture)
As an origin story for a young actor’s warped worldview, Honey Boy is compelling.
