Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Nowhere Boy

Play trailer Poster for Nowhere Boy R 2010 1h 37m Drama Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
81% Tomatometer 145 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A rebellious teenager, future Beatle John Lennon (Aaron Johnson) lives with his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) in working-class Liverpool, England. Mimi's husband suddenly dies, and John spies his mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), at the funeral. Despite Mimi's misgivings, John intends to have a real relationship with his mother. Julia introduces him to popular music and the banjo and, though a family conflict looms, young Lennon is inspired to form his own band.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Nowhere Boy

Nowhere Boy

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Don't expect any musical insights, but this look at John Lennon's early life benefits from its restrained, low-key approach and some fine acting from Aaron Johnson.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (145)
Deborah Ross The Spectator It is perfectly accomplished, and pleasing enough, but it's not going to blow your socks off, even though the combination of Ms Taylor Wood and such a compelling story would give you every reason to think it might. Aug 30, 2018 Full Review Nick James Sight & Sound The acting all round is pretty good, but the story itself is given to a sense of drift, as if the film itself doesn't know any better than Lennon what it wants. Apr 6, 2017 Full Review Anthony Lane The New Yorker Taylor-Wood has specialized in video installations and off-kilter portraits, and it was tempting to hope that her take on Lennon would unsettle and provoke. Instead, she stays resolutely on-kilter, as if awed into numbness by her subject. Oct 19, 2010 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Nowhere Boy, with all its quirky vagueness, at least offers a nostalgic charge reminiscent of the old Liverpool of Penny Lane. [Full review in Spanish] Jul 20, 2022 Full Review Bianca Garner In Their Own League For any massive fans of The Beatles then this is a must-see. The filmmakers also manage to carefully and effectively replicate the lates 50s and early 60s era in great attention to detail. Feb 3, 2021 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row A film of image over substance, something Lennon himself spent a lifetime rejecting. The film not only ignore that, it betrays it. Rated: 2/4 Aug 5, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (1000+)
Audience Member This movie was exceptional. Very well done. Even though it was filled with music, I loved how it didn’t really get into The Beatles (and I’m a huge Beatles fan), but really stuck to John’s painful story. It was beautifully acted and directed. Very moving. Cinematography was was wonderful. Just a great movie all around. A true story of human frailty and love. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/15/25 Full Review Laura M Really well done, well written. Great script, great direction- engaging and interesting. I just can't get into the casting. None of the boys are even close. The skilled acting pulls you into the story- they're all exceptional. It's worth watching. It's interesting to understand the relationships that formed John Lennon's life. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/14/25 Full Review Daniel B Que pelĆ­cula con tanta personalidad, ā€œNowhere Boyā€, es una de las razones por las que amo el cine, mĆ”s que una cinta biogrĆ”fica, retrata los lazos emocionales de una forma tan sincera que es imposible no identificarse. Para mi el mayor acierto de esta cinta fue desarrollarla desde el POV de John Lennon, exponiendo lo conflictuoso de los lazos familiares a travĆ©s de un adolescente; siendo visto desde el punto mĆ”s sincero, en el que nada es perfecto, la pelĆ­cula nunca romantiza a ningĆŗn personaje, John Lennon estĆ” lejos de ser perfecto, la pelĆ­cula hace un gran trabajo en retratarlo de la forma mĆ”s honesta posible, un adolescente que cree que todos estĆ”n en su contra, es grosero, tiene un ego gigantesco, pero es humano, a pesar de todo ama a los que lo rodean, si, podrĆ” pelearse con todos, hasta con su banda, pero gran parte de la madurez del ser humano es aprender de nuestros errores, y el cierre de la cinta lo expone de una forma hermosa. Yo desconocĆ­a a las dos mujeres que marcaron a la vida de John, y a pesar de tal vez en primera instancia desear una pelĆ­cula que retratara el ascenso de la fama hasta convertirse en el posiblemente musico mĆ”s importante de la historia, su conflicto familiar me pareció mĆ”s interesante que todo ello. Dos mujeres diametralmente opuestas, pero con un desarrollo tan honesto encaminado al amor por John, pero de una forma tan diferente fue bellĆ­simo, el cómo la narrativa les fue quitando las capas para dejarlas en sintonĆ­a con los sentimientos de John y la complejidad de los tres para reconocer y exteriorizar el amor, creó un clĆ­max del que es casi imposible ser indiferente. En aspectos tĆ©cnicos, la pelĆ­cula es hermosa, el diseƱo de los 50’s es hermoso, los actores parecen realmente gente de dicha Ć©poca, el diseƱo de vestuario es una maravilla, por momentos olvidas que esta es una pelĆ­cula que se creó en los 2000’s. Una pelĆ­cula que exterioriza de una forma tan vulnerable el amor verdadero, y cómo estĆ© estĆ” lejos de ser perfecto, siempre habrĆ” conflictos, siempre podremos sentirnos excluidos o rechazados, pero siempre tendremos la opción de volver a dónde hemos sido felices. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/09/25 Full Review Sally-Ann H What an insult to John Lennon, Beatles story and all Liverpudlians when the main characters like Mimi and Julia can’t get the Liverpudlian accent right !!! What a let down. Aaron Johnson and the other Beatles had the accent perfectly, Kristin Scott Thomas obviously never been to Liverpool in her life and didn’t bother to master the accent neither Anne Marie Duffy. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/04/25 Full Review Glafira Regina O Excelent film with talented actors and an atmospheric soundtrack. I can't say how accurate it is, since I'm not familiar with John Lennon's biography—but even so, it was pretty interesting to watch. No complaints here. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/03/25 Full Review Sal D An interesting biopic film on the life of young John Lennon. For whatever reason, the movie seemed to try too hard…as if the story of a teenager with a dysfunctional family was not enough. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/14/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Nowhere Boy

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Nowhere Boy

View more videos
My Week With Marilyn 82% 71% My Week With Marilyn Watchlist Control - Love Will Tear Us Apart 88% 89% Control - Love Will Tear Us Apart Watchlist Factory Girl 21% 60% Factory Girl Watchlist Stoned 16% 44% Stoned Watchlist Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus 33% 63% Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis A rebellious teenager, future Beatle John Lennon (Aaron Johnson) lives with his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) in working-class Liverpool, England. Mimi's husband suddenly dies, and John spies his mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), at the funeral. Despite Mimi's misgivings, John intends to have a real relationship with his mother. Julia introduces him to popular music and the banjo and, though a family conflict looms, young Lennon is inspired to form his own band.
Director
Sam Taylor-Johnson
Producer
Robert Bernstein, Kevin Loader, Douglas Rae
Screenwriter
Matt Greenhalgh
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
Film4, UK Film Council, Lipsync Productions, Ecosse Films, North West Vision
Rating
R (Language|A Scene of Sexuality)
Genre
Drama, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 8, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 9, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.4M
Runtime
1h 37m
Most Popular at Home Now