Lilyanna Hodson/ staff reporter
Beautiful Boy Starring Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carelle, is a drama-based movie released in 2018, showing us the true story and bond between the father and son David and Nick Sheff. This emotional and inspiring experience of survival takes us through dark and light, relapse, and recovery. Demonstrating just how many average people get sucked into the black hole of drugs. The deathly harm of drug use is an extreme problem today, the film reveals the devastating reality of how easy it is for all ages to become addicted.
David Sheff’s teenage son Nick disappears from his home, and returns after two days showing signs of drug use. David then takes his son to the rehab clinic, to find out for sure if his son is intoxicated. After the drug test had come back positive, an agreement was made where Nick would go to a Rehab Facility called Halfway house. Later Nick opens up to his father that he had been taking numerous drugs including crystal meth, or anything he could get his hands on, in which made him feel a sense of euphoria he couldn’t live without.
This movie left me stunned. As it takes us through the rollercoaster of fighting addiction, recovery, and relapse as one tries to get clean. The film gave me a complete understanding, that when there is an individual struggling with an addiction that is consuming their own life, it consumes their family’s life, as well as anyone who cares for them. This follows with how strong the bond between a father and son is, and how much a father is willing to risk and give up for their child. Yet the parents and loved ones of an addict can get their hopes up when they see a little light after a dark road. Not every rehab attempt works out, or not every addict’s sponsor is able to pull out the latter from their mess. These are the moments when even parents realize their limits, and must accept that when one needs help, only they can make the decision of wanting it, and seeking it themselves.
Steve Carelle did an amazing job portraying the fatiguing emotion that parents who are truly going through this feel. Timothee Chalamet was astonishing, he completely fulfilled the character. It seemed as if he was truly fighting through the withdrawals and temptation to continue feeding the addiction. The movie has many meanings, the one that stuck out the most, is that it’s not just adults that overdose. Its teens the age of us and even younger.
Drug addiction is a very serious matter and should always be seen as an important topic to talk about, as well as educate yourself and others on.