Ben Is Back

Play trailer

2:25

Ben Is Back

R

2019

1h 43m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

218 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

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.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Udita Jhunjhunwala

The Quint

04/03/2019

3/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

03/20/2019

3/5

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

Go to Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

03/19/2019

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

Go to Full Review

Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

07/14/2024

3/5

The sense of history you can feel between each character is rich and deep rooted.

Go to Full Review

Dan Sareen

Vague Visages

09/21/2023

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.

Go to Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

08/17/2022

3/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jimmy J

@RT26448855 Aug 15

As a fellow addict this movie is terrible. They took the spiritual side completely out of it. The plot is stupid and the acting is horrible, minus Julia Roberts. They turned a movie that was supposedly about addiction into a stupid action film.

See more

Troy M.

@RT55690225 May 14

I hate how abruptly the movie ended and how most of the plot was them trying to get their dog back.

See more

Fabio A

@RT70885947 Nov 16

Great movie. Julia Roberts is powerfully!!

See more

Stephanie G

@RT66122946 07/15/2025

Powerful. Emotional. Stellar performances from the whole cast.

See more

Susan G

@RT50844103 03/11/2024

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

See more

Jeff M

@jeffmarshallmovieblogger 02/11/2024

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.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

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

Edge of Winter

52%

38%

Edge of Winter

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Edge of Winter

Fatale

46%

87%

Fatale

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Fatale

Inconceivable

38%

59%

Inconceivable

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Inconceivable

Serenity

21%

31%

Serenity

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Serenity

Man Down

17%

59%

Man Down

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Man Down

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Ben Is Back: Trailer 1

2:25

Now Playing

Ben is Back: Teaser Trailer 1

0:55

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

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
Producer: Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Teddy Schwarzman, Peter Hedges
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
Runtime: 1h 43m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings