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Nowhere Boy

Play trailer Poster for Nowhere Boy R Released Oct 8, 2010 1h 37m Drama Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
81% Tomatometer 146 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.
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Nowhere Boy

Nowhere Boy

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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.

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Critics Reviews

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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 Trevor Johnston Sight & Sound This is a very decent effort for a first-time director, but given the auteurist expectations created by Taylor-Wood's track record in the art world, it's hard to discern a distinctively personal take on the material, or indeed the medium. Jul 6, 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 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

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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 película con tanta personalidad, “Nowhere Boy”, es una de las razones por las que amo el cine, más que una cinta biográfica, 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 través de un adolescente; siendo visto desde el punto más sincero, en el que nada es perfecto, la película nunca romantiza a ningún personaje, John Lennon está lejos de ser perfecto, la película hace un gran trabajo en retratarlo de la forma más honesta posible, un adolescente que cree que todos están en su contra, es grosero, tiene un ego gigantesco, pero es humano, a pesar de todo ama a los que lo rodean, si, podrá 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 desconocía a las dos mujeres que marcaron a la vida de John, y a pesar de tal vez en primera instancia desear una película que retratara el ascenso de la fama hasta convertirse en el posiblemente musico más importante de la historia, su conflicto familiar me pareció más 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 bellísimo, el cómo la narrativa les fue quitando las capas para dejarlas en sintonía con los sentimientos de John y la complejidad de los tres para reconocer y exteriorizar el amor, creó un clímax del que es casi imposible ser indiferente. En aspectos técnicos, la película es hermosa, el diseño de los 50’s es hermoso, los actores parecen realmente gente de dicha época, el diseño de vestuario es una maravilla, por momentos olvidas que esta es una película que se creó en los 2000’s. Una película que exterioriza de una forma tan vulnerable el amor verdadero, y cómo esté está lejos de ser perfecto, siempre habrá 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
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Nowhere Boy

Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Banjo Lesson Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Banjo Lesson 1:48 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - The Quarrymen Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - The Quarrymen 2:14 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Buddy Holly Look Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Buddy Holly Look 2:32 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Where's Daddy, Mommy? Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Where's Daddy, Mommy? 2:37 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Off to Hamburg Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Off to Hamburg 2:23 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Paul's Audition Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Paul's Audition 2:13 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - In Spite of All the Danger Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - In Spite of All the Danger 2:44 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - I Put a Spell on You Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - I Put a Spell on You 2:05 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Sex & Rock 'n' Roll Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Sex & Rock 'n' Roll 2:20 Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Meet George Nowhere Boy: Official Clip - Meet George 1:50 View more videos
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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
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