Ben is Back

Parental Rating: R

Contains: Language    Drug Use    Adult Content    

Jill's Review

Opens December 21, 2018

Runs 103 minutes

Ben (Lucas Hedges) decides to come home for Christmas, only it seems that he has left his sober living facility without anyone really knowing that he was coming home. His mother Holly (Julia Roberts) is so excited to see him. She is just grateful to spend Christmas with her son. His Stepdad Neal (Courtney B. Vance) thinks this is a very bad idea but goes along to please his wife. The rest of the family loves Ben, but his sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton) can only remember the damage he did the last time he came home. Everything seems fine until the family gets home from Church and realizes that the house has been broken into and the dog had been kidnapped. This all has to be related to the fact that Ben is home. Holly takes things into her own hands and she and Ben set out to find the dog. What she learns along the way may change her and the family forever.

This movie is almost hard to watch. It truly reflects how an addict harms not only himself but his whole family. Lucas Hedges is fantastic as Ben. He is frustrating and sympathetic at the same time. Julia Roberts is so good as Ben's Mom. She is glad to have him home but knows that she just can't trust him yet. She hides all of the prescriptions in the house and her jewelry. She knows only too well what Ben might be capable of but she loves him anyway. Ben's Stepdad isn't excited to have Ben home at all. He knows that it is too soon. Ben's sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton) loves him but knows the hurt that he might cause. The younger kids are just excited to have their big brother home - they don't understand his addiction yet. All of this adds up to a very tense situation. And then the dog gets kidnapped. Ben and his Mom go on an all night search until Ben is separated from his Mom and she must continue her search alone. You can just feel her fear and dread. This movie is very good. I don't understand drug addiction but this movie sure makes it look awful. The Husband and I liked the film a lot. Go see it.

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