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Ben Is Back

  • Rated R
  • 1hr 43m
  •  (234)
  • 66

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Videos & Photos

  • Official Trailer
  • Teaser Trailer

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Peter Hedges

Producer:

Margaret Chernin, Dianne Dreyer, Jane Nerlinger Evans

Writer:

Peter Hedges

Release Date:

Dec 7, 2018

Runtime:

1hr 43m

Synopsis

19 year-old Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly returns home to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben’s mother, Holly (Julia Roberts), 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. Ben is Back also stars Courtney B. Vance (“The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) and Kathryn Newton (Lady Bird).

Cast

  • Julia Roberts
  • Lucas Hedges
  • Courtney B. Vance
  • Kathryn Newton
  • Rachel Bay Jones
  • David Zaldivar
  • Alexandra Park
  • Michael Esper
  • Tim Guinee
  • Myra Lucretia Taylor

Did You Know?

Trivia

  • Lucas Hedges and Kathryn Newton co-starred the year before in Lady Bird (2017) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), marking this movie their third collaboration.
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Quotes

    • Neal Beeby: If you were black, he would be in jail by now.
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Movie details provided by

Atom User Reviews

 4.1 out of 5
103
77
39
11
4
POPULAR TAGS
#intense
#greatcast
#mustsee
#great
#heartpounding
#awardbuzz
#inspiring
#leavekidsathome
#indiehit
#allthefeels
#original
#truestory
#mustseebro
#boring
#familyfriendly
#slow
#terrifying
#snoozefest
#seeingitagain
#predictable
Buy tickets for Spies in Disguise!
Verified Review
#intense
#greatcast

The wife and I enjoyed it. I’m sure for some parents who can relate it’ll hit a soft spot and even for those who can’t, imagining the possibilities of your own child going through these things just makes you want to be there for every single moment of your child’s life and make sure they’re never alone. Julia Roberts hit this role out of the park. If I had to compare it, I would say it was just as good as her role in Stepmom if not better.

3 of 3 helpful votes
FG
Fidel G
Verified Review
#intense
#heartpounding

One word... damn.

2 of 2 helpful votes
AK
Avery K

Metacritic

66
metacritic
Based on 39 Critics
6.8

USER SCORE (45)

Generally favorable reviews based on 45 Reviews
63
Dec 16, 2018

The film doesn’t glamorize addiction, or make it irrationally melodramatic, or gussy itself up in bespoke tragedy. (The same cannot be said of Beautiful Boy.) It’s all just right—even if “just right” is just O.K.

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K. Austin Collins
Vanity Fair
80
Sep 12, 2018

Julia Roberts blasts through this family reunion drama-turned-thriller with one of the most forceful performances of her career.

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Metacritic review by Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Screen International
70
Sep 12, 2018

The film is aware of the weight of its subject but loath to behave like an important film — focusing instead on the specificity of one sick young man and the family that loves and fears him in almost equal measure.

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Metacritic review by John DeFore
John DeFore
The Hollywood Reporter
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com