Ben Is Back

R

Released Jan 11, 2019

1 hr. 43 min.

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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List

81%

220 Reviews

Tomatometer

69%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Nineteen-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve. Ben's mom, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son's drug addiction. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love gets put to the test as Holly does everything in her power to keep Ben clean.

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Premiered Dec 27

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Critics Consensus

Refreshingly understated, Ben Is Back subverts family drama stereotypes - and provides a forum for terrific performances from Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts.

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Susan G

Powerful. Well done and tasteful. I hope everyone gets a chance to learn from this story. Bonus: Julia is A1+++

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/11/24

Full Review

Jeff M

I found the first half of this film quite compelling as we are introduced to the characters involved and become quickly intrigued by Ben's unexpected return home and the varying emotions that his arrival evokes. Roberts and Hedges are compelling and successfully elicit both sympathy and frustration. And then halfway through, the film makes a drastic 180 degree turn that leaves behind the character development and becomes more of a thriller that relies on an increasingly hard to swallow series of events that feel more like screenwriting conceits than true to life drama and strain credibility. That's too bad, because the first part is so strong that I was really rooting for it to continue on a path of greatness. Everyone has their hearts in the right places, but by the end, after one too many coincidences have occurred, you may find yourself rolling your eyes rather than wiping tears from them.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Ben is back but is he really? Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts co-star as son and mother along with Courtney B. Vance and Kathyrn Newton A teenager Ben Burns returns home just in time for Christmas Eve after being released from rehab His mother Holly is ecstatic about her sons return but tries to hide anything that'll bring back his drug addiction But something comes back to haunt Ben and he has to try and fix it Does Holly really know her son as well as she thinks she does? How much more trouble is he knee deep in? She will do anything just to have him back from before he went away This is a very slow moving drama being more of a character piece There's virtually no music throughout Yet the film really gets by on both Roberts and Hedges' performances My only real problem was the ending; it doesn't really wrap up as it just stops The first half is so much different from the second half that's for sure and this has a more direct to video feel to it Yet both performances are magnetic despite it straining credibility in many parts The actors alone should be viewed for this

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/07/23

Full Review

Nina B

Boring. All I was worried about during the last hour was the dog. Don't waste your time.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/04/23

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Audience Member

Amazing movie. So well done. It is very realistic. I think this film will help addicts stay sober.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

Full Review

John B

I'm a fan of Julia Roberts and her work, but I didn't particularly like her in this one. The story itself was a difficult subject and I think the main actors did a good job with the script given, but it just didn't appeal to me how it was delivered.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/02/23

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Peter Hedges

Director

Julia Roberts

Holly Burns

Lucas Hedges

Ben Burns

Courtney B. Vance

Neal Beeby

Kathryn Newton

Ivy Burns

Rachel Bay Jones

Beth Conyers

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Ben Is Back: Trailer 1

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Ben is Back: Teaser Trailer 1

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Udita Jhunjhunwala

The Quint

For all its good intentions, Ben Is Back is at most a satisfactory watch, but a remarkable showcase for both Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 3, 2019

Full Review

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

A gripping entertainment that gets across worthwhile truths about contemporary strains of an ancient disease.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 20, 2019

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

When Julia Roberts is good, she's really good.

Mar 19, 2019

Full Review

Dan Sareen

Vague Visages

Even if Ben is Back tries a little too hard to ramp up the stakes, the fact remains that Hedges and Roberts’ performances make for an incredibly powerful on-screen relationship.

Sep 21, 2023

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Hedges’ film never quite reaches Rachel Getting Married-like heights, but the fine first half is worth your time, even if the uneven second half delves into conventional territory.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

Jason Adams

My New Plaid Pants

Its hard turn into strange caper territory just ends up reading as facile, and unbecoming toward the emotional truths it starts straining for

Jul 2, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Nineteen-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve. Ben's mom, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son's drug addiction. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love gets put to the test as Holly does everything in her power to keep Ben clean.

Director: Peter Hedges
Executive Producer: Daniel Steinman, Micah Green, Dan Friedkin, Ben Stillman, Michael Heimler, Jane Evans, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon
Screenwriter: Peter Hedges
Distributor: Lionsgate Films, Roadside Attractions, LD Entertainment
Production Co: Color Force
Rating: R (Some Drug Use|Language Throughout)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 11, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 19, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.7M
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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