Shia Labeouf’s semi-autobiographical film ‘Honey Boy’ hit the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, and it turns out it was a HUGE hit.
Labeouf, who is the definition of a fucked up child star, has constantly been in and out of the news for his wild antics and “performance art” for the last few years. But at the same time, he’s an incredibly talented actor and filmmaker and has a super impressive resume. So I think we all had absolutely no idea what to expect when it came to his latest film, Honey Boy.
The film is titled Honey Boy, after the nickname given to the now 33-year-old Even Stevens star by his problematic, heroin-addicted father.
Honey Boy is a slightly fictionalised version of LaBeouf’s troubled childhood including being thrown into the spotlight at a young age, and dealing with a heroin addict father. LaBeouf plays his dad in the film under the name James Lort, while the fictionalised version of himself is played by Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) and Lucas Hedges (Lady Bird).
The film follows the highs and lows of James Lort’s battle with addiction, presenting the “good and the bad without judgement”, Slant Magazine reports.
Honey Boy also received four ‘V’s from Vox, who called it “an exercise in extreme empathy, and a must-see.”
Considering how erratic and unpredictable Shia LaBeouf is in real life, nobody really knew what to expect from a film he basically did everything for. But I’ll let the first reactions on Twitter speak for themselves, because the professional critics fucking LOVED it.
HONEY BOY feels cathartic but then also inviting – an introspective and painful memoir that equally manages to be playful and so pretty. All three young men are very sad and talented and I enjoyed it a lot #TIFF19
— Ella Kemp (@ella_kemp) September 5, 2019
HONEY BOY: I had high expectations for Shia LaBeouf’s performance and he exceeded all of them. A brutal, wounding, and intimate movie that’s unlike any biopic you’ve ever seen. #TIFF19
— Anne Cohen (@anneesthercohen) September 5, 2019
Got to see #HoneyBoy today. It’s intense and raw, and I absolutely loved the performances by Noah Jupe, Shia LeBeouf, and Lucas Hesges. Definitely check this out when it hits hot heaters. #TIFF
— Wendy Lee Szany (@WendyLeeSzany) September 5, 2019
Holy cow! #HoneyBoy #HoneyBoyMovie floored me.
Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges and Noah Jupe all gave outstanding performances.
Cathartic AF, “Honey Boy” is one of the best films I’ve seen all year.#TIFF #TIFF19 #TIFF2019 @HoneyBoyMovie @AmazonStudios pic.twitter.com/nymPlFcjjU— Rama’s Screen (@RamasScreen) September 5, 2019
Honestly, I’m just stoked that people are starting to appreciate Shia LaBeouf for the artist he really is. All jokes and “do it” memes aside, Shia LaBeouf is a wildly talented actor, writer and filmmaker.
Despite not really making headlines for anything other than his wild antics, LaBeouf has actually got a pretty impressive resume. His works include films like Borg vs McEnroe, American Honey and The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman in addition to the obvious faves like Holes and Even Stevens.
For all of us whose Toronto Film Fest invites got lost in the mail, Honey Boy is officially released in the US on November 8 via Amazon Studios. Hopefully Australia won’t be far behind.
But until then you can watch the trailer on repeat and maybe cry like I did because Shia LaBeouf is a treasure and I just want the best for him.
