Critics Are Praising Shia LaBeouf's Movie About Shia LaBeouf's Life Starring Shia LaBeouf

It caught many film fans off guard when Shia LaBeouf announced he was making a semi-autobiographical movie, titled Honey Boy.

Many thought he was too young to have a feature length film made about his 33 years on the planet, while others were confused when the Hollywood star chose not to cast himself to play the character based on his own life.

Instead, the film sees LaBeouf taking on the role of his own father, while Lucas Hedges plays a younger version of LaBeouf. Still with us? Good.

The name of the film came from the actor's nickname as he was growing up.

But anyone left baffled by the casting choices might have to rethink their position, because critics are absolutely loving Honey Boy. Let's take a look at some of the reviews...

Anne Hornaday from The Washington Post was complimentary when she wrote: "In this intense, unsettling, modestly triumphant portrait of the artist as a young man, LaBeouf shows us not only how he grew up, but what it cost him along the way."

Meanwhile, Slate's Inkoo Kang added: "LaBeouf is so revelatory as both writer and actor that the film defies cynicism about its second purpose as celebrity image management. It just makes you excited about the work."

The Victoria Advocate's Joe Friar also showered the film with praise, writing: "Shia LaBeouf's semi-autobiographical film is superb as the actor bares his soul. One of the best films of 2019."

Amazon Studios

Thirty-three-year-old LaBeouf was arrested in 2017 and subsequently sent to drug rehabilitation. It was during rehab that he wrote the screenplay for the film.

Earlier this year, the actor revealed that he was suffering PTSD during that period and was working on a way to get better, adding said it was a strange process turning some of his life's roughest moments into a film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said: "It is strange to fetishise your pain and make a product out of it and feel guilty about that. It felt very selfish.

"This whole thing felt very selfish. I never went into this thinking, 'Oh, I am going to f***ing help people.' That wasn't my goal. I was falling apart."

PA

While it was a cathartic process for LaBeouf, he was in for a pleasant surprise when he sent it to his mate Alma Har'el, who ended up directing the film.

He continued: "I sent it to Alma almost in jest and she wrote back, 'This is it.' We had been looking for something for a while. It felt like this was the perfect thing. There wouldn't be much acting required or directing required."

The film has already been released in the US but will hit the UK next month and Australia in February.

Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie