Cinema can occasionally feel so personal to those who make it that it feels like sitting in on a therapy session, and that is certainly the case here.

Honey Boy follows Otis (Lucas Hedges) a movie star struggling with mental health issues including addiction issues as he is forced to enter a rehab to prevent legal repercussions. Once in therapy, Otis recalls his emotionally volatile upbringing as a child star (Noah Jupe) from his abusive father (Shia LaBeouf), and the lasting effects this had on him.

With a mostly autobiographical script from LaBeouf, writing about his own experiences as a young actor with his own abusive father managing him, the film adds another layer of authenticity with the former Transformers franchise star taking on the part of the paternal figure alongside the continually impressive Jupe as a stand-in for a young Shia.

Noah Jupe in Honey Boy (
Image:
Amazon Studios /Youtube)

The flashbacks scenes are certainly the more atmospheric and nuanced thread of the piece, proving to be the highlight and backbone of the film. The scenes where LaBeouf and Jupe go head-to-head are uncomfortable, moving, and cathartic in their psychological display.

Hedges, meanwhile, once more offers a reliably intense performance in the present day scenes after his brooding turns in the likes of Ben Is Back and Mid90s, and is proving to be one of the most talented young actors on the independent film scene.

Lucas Hedges in Honey Boy (
Image:
Amazon Studios /Youtube)

The film is very much indebted to these central three performances, with some added cameos from It Follows star Maika Monroe and the brilliant Natasha Lyonne in voice-over only barely registering.

However, LaBeouf’s real-life girlfriend, the music artist FKA Twigs, does have an intriguing small role and shows great presence on camera as a sultry neighbour to the young Otis who becomes a source of emotional support for him in his darkest moments.

Importantly, director Alma Har'el gives a melancholic and unflinching look into the past of the film's subject, but the film definitely feels like The Shia LaBeouf Show, which seems to be just how Har'el likes it.

Shia LaBeouf in Honey Boy (
Image:
Amazon Studios /Youtube)

The director also utilises the scenes where there isn't screaming and shouting - and there are a lot - with the silent sequences often proving to be the most emotionally transcendent and memorable of all.

While it may feel repetitive in places, Honey Boy is a highly personal drama that many are likely to feel emotionally affected by.

Verdict

Honey Boy (
Image:
Amazon Studios /Youtube)

Honey Boy is a moving portrait of fatherhood, abuse, and redemption that is anchored by a superb turn from Shia LaBeouf as his own father, laying his soul bare on camera.

Honey Boy was shown at the BFI London Film Festival 2019 and will be released in UK cinemas on December 6, 2019.

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