Shia LaBeouf role-plays his childhood in Honey Boy
Many of us remember actor Shia LaBeouf as the teen star whose career skyrocketed during the mid to late 2000s, playing in a number of blockbuster hits such as the epic sci-fi action Transformers franchise,
Eagle Eye, or Indiana Jones And The
Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. But in the past few years, LaBeouf has somewhat faded from the spotlight, and that was largely due to his personal issues behind the cameras, from his public outbursts and a run-in with police to being arrested and admitting alcohol and substance abuse.
However, after signing himself in to a mental health facility for some self-reflection, LaBeouf has returned with Honey Boy, a semi-autobiographical drama based on his own life experiences.
Honey Boy is directed by Alma Har’el and stars LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs and Maika Monroe. The script was also written by LaBeouf during his time spent in rehabilitation. The film is a somewhat fictionalised autobiography of LaBeouf, following certain periods of his life and career through the fictional character of a child actor named Otis Lort, who struggles to reconcile with his father and deal with his mental health issues.
During the 93 minutes running time, the film keeps switching between two different timelines, with actors Jupe and Hedges standing in for Otis at ages 12 and 22 respected. LaBeouf surprisingly portrays the role of his own father, here known as James Lort.
The film opens with a scene of the young adult Otis on the set of his new action movie (obviously hinting at a Transformers-esque action shot). Then the movie cuts to random scenes showing the daily routine of his life, showing that this guy is definitely a party animal and full-blown alcoholic. If he’s not acting he’s drinking, and if he’s drinking, he’s driving.
All of which of course inevitably leads him to jail and then rehab. We later learn from the doctor that Otis may have some PTSD from his childhood. And in order to explain that, the movie introduces us to the 12-year-old Otis, a child actor that lives in a cheap hotel with his reckless and abusive father, James. What follows is an emotional, high drama movie and a character study about narcissism and mental illness, the power of addiction, and the demons parents can sometimes pass on to their children.
Although it’s the first feature film by Har’el, who’s known for her work in documentaries and music videos, she does a fine job at balancing the serious tone of the story with her own unique vision and its dreamlike editing. The majority of the film takes place in Los Angeles so you get some beautiful scenes of the city, the sunsets and palm trees.
Honey Boy is also done well in terms of dialogue and conversation. For the most part of the story, Hedges’ character is separated from the rest of the movie, so the examination of Otis as an individual is largely seen through the dynamic between Jupe and LaBeouf, which heavily emphasises the complexities of this love-hate, bittersweet relationship between the two characters.
While it’s fun watching these characters banter back and forth, you can’t help but to get scared for Otis at times because his father is emotionally unstable and an absolute nutcase, and you never know what he’s going to do next. There are times when the physical and emotional abuse is presented, and it may be difficult to watch, but I think this is a very introspective and brave film for LaBeouf to put together.
The cast in Honey Boy is solid across the board, especially Jupe who plays the young Otis as a rising kid actor — you’ve seen him in last year’s post-apocalyptic horror A Quiet Place. Hedges is of course the Oscar nominee who astonished us in Manchester By The Sea, and here he successfully convinces us in the role of traumatised star.
English avant-pop singer FKA Twigs who makes her acting debut in the role of a shy girl-next-door has very little dialogue in the film, and not much purpose. While her relationship with the young Otis is also kind of strange at first, once you get an idea of what’s going on, it’s actually quite touching.
In the end, the movie doesn’t really give you any kind of closure. You don’t exactly know what will happen with Otis or his father. But that’s probably what LaBeouf and the director wanted. After all, LaBeouf ’s now only in his early 30s. And his rehab experience that produced this film was not that long ago. It’s not like he’s trying to act like he’s got everything figured out.
While it’s probably not for everyone,
Honey Boy is still a movie that is definitely worth watching as it does a good job of exploring the theme of never being able to escape where you came from, and the negative ways the past affects you in the present. And while this is maybe a very specific personal experience, it can also be universal so that almost anyone who sees this movie will probably find something moving in it for them.