6 Balloons

2018

1h 15m

Drama

List

86%

29 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Over the course of one night, a woman drives across Los Angeles with her brother, who is addicted to heroin, in search of a detox center.

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Critics Consensus

Delicately sketched but thematically rich, 6 Balloons rises on Abbi Jacobson's gripping performance -- and marks writer-director Marja-Lewis Ryan as a talent to watch.

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Celeste S

This movie vividly shows how an enabler/codependent can be just as sick as the addict themselves. It reminds me of a story I read about walking down the street and falling in the hole. I can't get out. I walk down the same street, see the hole and fall in anyway. Walk down the street, see the hole and walk around it. Take a different street. Only you can make the decision to change. Addict or no. Brilliant movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/31/23

Full Review

christopher c. m

Kate is planning a surprise party for her brother Seth. But when she gets there she finds he has relapsed and is high on heroin. That's it, that's the whole premise. Other than balloons being in the movie, they bare no part of the overall story. Plus there's no build up, not getting to know either Kate or Seth before his relapse. The movie is under 80 minutes and there's barely anything to it. And the little there is drudges on and feels more like 4 hours than 74 minutes. We don't know enough about either of the main characters to get invested or really care what happens to them, I don't mean to be cruel. Just being human beings isn't enough to care if Seth lives or dies. After all, these are fictional people. And the INCREDIBLY original message that heroin is bad is hammered home. This isn't a plot to a movie, this is an episode of the "After School Special" they barely stretched to barely feature length.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I felt so compelled to write something about this movie after watching that I'm on the internet writing about it....what a terrible message. I understand what the writers were going for but they definitely fell way short of that already convoluted and shortcoming ideal that severing ties is the best way to save an addict. The sister clearly cared and the message your giving is give up on them like everyone around you is telling you to do? The message is to teach healthy relationship techniques to limit co-dependance. The sister could have easily still drove him to rehab or detox what does driving someone and telling them no have to do with your power.... as a recovered addict I like the idea of shedding some light on the people effected around an addict but boy they did a horrendous job. I believe the biggest issue as a society we face with addicts, metal health issues, and the homeless is that of prejudice from the way the pharmacist acted to the dad saying "I wish he would just get over it..." a humans will to do better comes from others perception on the impact their life has on the people around them. If they're shooting herion in the bathroom with water from the toilet they already hate themselves enough no to want to life anymore, if they people around them and they're loved one's are so selfish that all they think is, "Well they did it to themselves" they aren't wrong but severely mistaken on that persons core values.... I'm so mad that an abomination of a movie advertising it help towards the family of addicts. If you treat you family like they treated Mr. Franco you can most certainly plan to put them in the ground.... if that's what you were going for then good....but unlike you people I don't believe that your pasty mistakes define you enough to have society leave you behind....we did this to our own people now stop blaming them, or anyone and get over the prejudice and help your fellow man/woman.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

jamie r

At first I thought this would be great, it has a nice artistic touch, and the audiobook narration is a good touch to connecting with what it's like to help an addict, but like others, I felt it didn't get gritty enough to really explore the life of an addict. I mean this was barely grazing the surface. I feel like honestly we just saw 2 hours of movie world time in one hour, so it felt way too short. There's a way to develop characters without going off track of the story. That kid honestly did the best acting out of anyone, not to say anyone was bad, but for how young that kid is, she did so good that I think seeing her life in this story was the most touching part, I felt for her more than anyone else. Really, she's the biggest victim here, but that wasn't explored either. See what I mean? There's more here than the movie shows.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This sibling story of addiction is rich with performances by Jacobsen and Franco and also naturalism. Naturalism filmmaking at it's finest. This film does an excellent job telling the story of and entire family struggling with a loved one's addiction.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

james b

This was really good. Heartbreaking, but good... Really shows the difficulties that families go through with an addict family member, and the tragic cycle that drug addiction is. Loved the imagery of the "boat" and of drowning... Really helped to have an impact.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Marja-Lewis Ryan

Director

Abbi Jacobson

Katie

Dave Franco

Seth

Charlotte Carel

Actor

Madeline Carel

Actor

Maya Erskine

Cameron

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Buy Me a Gun

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Hooked

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David Ehrlich

indieWire

Much like its frazzled protagonist, 6 Balloons has a strong sense of direction, but the film is too constricted to let go, embrace the detours, and allow life to takes it course.

Rated: C

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

Caroline Siede

Consequence

As a mood piece and character portrait, 6 Balloons is a strong debut for Ryan. But though it doesn't overstay its welcome, by the time the credits roll, 6 Balloons feels like it still has more to say.

Rated: B-

Apr 9, 2018

Full Review

Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

It's a compliment to first-time feature writer-director Marja-Lewis Ryan that we want more of what she has to offer.

Apr 6, 2018

Full Review

Christopher James

AwardsCircuit.com

This heroin drama falls flat in execution. It's drama is overwrought, as it constantly tries to stay one step above a low grade Lifetime movie.

Rated: 1.5/4

Oct 30, 2018

Full Review

Olivia Ovenden

Esquire Magazine

Franco and Jacobsen's on-screen relationship is utterly convincing not only in the forgiveness and sympathy we afford siblings but in showing how quickly we revert to the squabbling and resentments of childhood.

Oct 16, 2018

Full Review

Derek Deskins

Next Projection

Were 6 Balloons to be nothing more than an actor's showcase, it would work, unfortunately the rest of its pieces just never quite come together.

Rated: 6/10

Oct 16, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

Over the course of one night, a woman drives across Los Angeles with her brother, who is addicted to heroin, in search of a detox center.

Director: Marja-Lewis Ryan
Producer: Ian Bricke, Lynette Howell Taylor
Screenwriter: Marja-Lewis Ryan
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 6, 2018
Runtime: 1h 15m

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