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Ben Is Back
2018 103 min United States of America R 18+
★7.0
Drama
Director: Peter Hedges
Trailers
EN
Teaser
EN
Description
19-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns home to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben's mother, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son staying clean. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love for her son is tested as she does everything in her power to keep him safe.
Budget:
$13M
US Gross:
$3.7M
Worldwide:
$12.62M
Starring
Julia Roberts
Actor
Lucas Hedges
Actor
Courtney B. Vance
Actor
Awards
3 wins & 13 nominations total
Key opinion
Ben Is Back is a tense family drama that relies heavily on the powerful performances of Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges to anchor its exploration of maternal love and drug addiction. While many appreciate its emotional honesty, the film divides audiences due to an abrupt shift from a grounded domestic drama into a less convincing, thriller-like second half.
| Acting | Julia Roberts delivers a magnetic and sincere performance that serves as the film's primary anchor. | |
| Acting | Lucas Hedges provides a raw and convincing portrayal of a struggling addict attempting to navigate family distrust. | |
| Emotion | The film succeeds in depicting the genuine, complex emotions of a family grappling with the trauma and persistent uncertainty of addiction. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative structure suffers from a jarring transition, as the realistic, intimate family drama devolves into a contrived thriller-style plot in the final act. | |
| Theme | The story is caught between a desire for serious thematic exploration and a reliance on shallow, superficial plot devices. |