12 Emotionally Raw Movies Like Beautiful Boy That Explore Addiction And Family Trauma

Finding a film that captures the devastating, cyclical nature of addiction and its profound effect on family is rare. The 2018 film Beautiful Boy, based on the dual memoirs by David and Nic Sheff, set a high bar for this genre, focusing on a father’s relentless struggle to save his methamphetamine-addicted son, portrayed by Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, respectively. The film's enduring emotional resonance lies in its unflinching honesty and refusal to offer easy answers.

If you were captivated by the raw, gut-wrenching performances and the complex themes of relapse, recovery, and unconditional love in Beautiful Boy, you are likely searching for other titles that explore similar emotional territory. As of December 2025, we have curated a list of the most compelling, recent, and thematically relevant films that tackle substance abuse, mental health, and the unbreakable, yet often strained, bonds of family.

The New Wave of Addiction and Family Dramas (2018-2022)

The success of Beautiful Boy has paved the way for more nuanced and high-profile cinematic explorations of the addiction crisis. These newer releases often feature acclaimed actors and directors, bringing fresh perspectives to the challenging themes of substance abuse and family trauma. They are essential viewing for fans of the genre.

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1. The Son (2022)

While not strictly about substance abuse, The Son is one of the most thematically similar recent films to Beautiful Boy, trading drug addiction for a deep dive into mental health and depression.

• The Central Conflict: The film centers on Peter (Hugh Jackman), whose successful new life with his partner Beth (Vanessa Kirby) is upended when his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern) reveals their teenage son, Nicholas (Zen McGrath), is struggling with severe depression and mental illness.
• The Connection to Beautiful Boy: Just as David Sheff felt helpless watching Nic spiral, Peter is forced to confront his own parental failings and the generational trauma passed down through his family, including his own father, played by Anthony Hopkins. It is a raw, intense look at a parent's desperate attempt to connect with and save a child who is unreachable.

2. Four Good Days (2020)

This film is perhaps the closest thematic successor to Beautiful Boy, focusing on the grueling process of recovery and the toll it takes on a mother-daughter relationship.

• The Central Conflict: Based on a Washington Post article by Eli Saslow, the story stars Glenn Close as Deb, a mother who takes in her estranged 31-year-old daughter, Molly (Mila Kunis), a long-term heroin addict. The plot hinges on Molly needing to stay clean for four "good days" to qualify for a potentially life-saving opioid antagonist injection.
• The Connection to Beautiful Boy: Like the Sheff family, the film captures the cycle of relapse, the shattered trust, and the painful physical and emotional withdrawal. The performances by Close and Kunis earned critical acclaim for their raw, unvarnished portrayal of the struggle.

3. 6 Balloons (2018)

Released the same year as Beautiful Boy, this Netflix drama offers a different perspective: a sibling's desperate attempt to intervene.

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• The Central Conflict: The film follows Katie (Abbi Jacobson) as she attempts to organize a birthday party while simultaneously driving her younger brother, Seth (Dave Franco), a heroin addict, around Los Angeles in a desperate search for a detox center. Seth’s two-year-old daughter is in the car with them, adding a layer of heartbreaking tension.
• The Connection to Beautiful Boy: The film captures a single, frantic night of crisis, mirroring the stressful, chaotic moments of relapse seen in Beautiful Boy. It highlights the burden and loyalty of family members who are not the primary caregivers but are still deeply entangled in the crisis.

4. Aftersun (2022)

While not explicitly about addiction, Aftersun is a critically lauded film that explores the complexities of a parent's hidden struggles and their impact on a child, making it a compelling thematic companion.

• The Central Conflict: Directed by Charlotte Wells, the movie uses the fragmented memories of a woman named Sophie as she looks back on a seemingly idyllic Turkish holiday with her young father, Calum (Paul Mescal), 20 years earlier. It subtly reveals the father's internal emotional and mental turmoil through small, telling moments.
• The Connection to Beautiful Boy: Both films deal with a child's retrospective attempt to understand a parent's suffering—Nic Sheff's memoir was about his father's pain, and Sophie's memories are about Calum's hidden grief and depression. It’s a powerful exploration of the things we don't realize about our parents until we are older.

Essential Films on Substance Abuse and Recovery

The themes of addiction, recovery, and the devastation of substance abuse have been a staple of cinema for decades. These films stand out for their emotional depth and unflinching portrayal of the subject, providing a necessary context for understanding the genre that Beautiful Boy belongs to.

5. Ben Is Back (2018)

This film is often mentioned alongside Beautiful Boy because of its similar structure—a parent’s intense 24-hour struggle to protect their son from relapse.

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• The Central Conflict: Julia Roberts stars as Holly Burns, whose 19-year-old son, Ben (Lucas Hedges), returns home unexpectedly from rehab on Christmas Eve. The family's tentative joy quickly turns to fear and chaos as Holly must fight to keep Ben clean and safe from his past drug connections.
• Key Entities: Lucas Hedges, Julia Roberts, director Peter Hedges, opioid addiction, Christmas Eve.

6. A Million Little Pieces (2018)

Based on the controversial but best-selling memoir by James Frey, this film follows a young alcoholic and drug addict who checks into a rehabilitation center to confront his demons.

• The Central Conflict: James (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is forced to face a brutal 12-step program and the bizarre, intense characters he meets in the clinic. The film is a hyper-stylized and gritty look at the physical and psychological hell of early recovery.
• Key Entities: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, director Sam Taylor-Johnson, James Frey memoir, rehabilitation center, alcoholism, drug abuse.

7. Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

Directed by Ron Howard and based on J.D. Vance's memoir, this film explores the multi-generational impact of poverty, lack of opportunity, and drug abuse in the Appalachian region.

• The Central Conflict: The story follows J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso) as he recounts his tumultuous childhood and the volatile relationship between his mother, Bev (Amy Adams), a struggling addict, and his tough-as-nails grandmother, Mamaw (Glenn Close).
• The Connection to Beautiful Boy: It provides a broader societal context for addiction, showing how economic hardship and generational cycles of trauma fuel substance abuse, a contrast to Beautiful Boy's middle-class setting.

Classic and Gritty Portrayals of Addiction

For those who appreciate the raw, uncompromising realism in films that tackle addiction, these titles offer a powerful, often darker, look at the subject matter.

8. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece is a relentlessly dark and intense portrayal of four different lives destroyed by various forms of addiction.

• The Central Conflict: The film follows the parallel stories of Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) and her son, Harry (Jared Leto), and his friends, as their dreams are systematically shattered by heroin and amphetamine abuse. The film is known for its frantic, visceral editing and harrowing conclusion.
• Key Entities: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, director Darren Aronofsky, heroin, amphetamines, Coney Island, psychological addiction.

9. The Basketball Diaries (1995)

Based on the early life of writer Jim Carroll, this cult classic stars Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his most powerful early roles as a gifted high school basketball player who spirals into heroin addiction.

• The Central Conflict: Jim's life descends from youthful promise into homelessness and crime as his addiction takes hold. The film is a stark look at the loss of potential and the desperation of street life.
• Key Entities: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Jim Carroll, heroin addiction, New York City, high school athlete.

10. Twelve (2010)

This lesser-known film explores the dark side of privileged youth, focusing on drug dealing and its consequences in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

• The Central Conflict: A young man drops out of high school after his mother dies and begins dealing drugs, specifically a new, dangerous drug called "Twelve." The film is a cautionary tale about the emptiness and moral decay in the lives of the wealthy elite.
• Key Entities: Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland (narrator), Upper East Side, drug dealing, privileged youth.

11. Clean and Sober (1988)

A classic of the genre, this film offers a look at a high-functioning addict forced into recovery. Michael Keaton delivers a career-defining performance as a real estate agent with a cocaine addiction.

• The Central Conflict: After a crisis, Daryl Poynter (Michael Keaton) enters rehab to escape legal trouble, only to find himself genuinely confronting his addiction and the 12-step program.
• Key Entities: Michael Keaton, Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman, cocaine addiction, 12-step program, high-functioning addict.

12. Manchester by the Sea (2016)

While not an addiction film, Manchester by the Sea shares Beautiful Boy's profound exploration of grief, trauma, and a family member trying to pick up the pieces after a devastating tragedy.

• The Central Conflict: Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is forced to return to his hometown after his brother’s death and becomes the guardian of his nephew. The film is a study in crippling, unresolved grief and the inability to move on from a past trauma.
• The Connection to Beautiful Boy: Both movies are masterclasses in portraying the quiet, internal devastation that follows a catastrophic family event. The raw, understated performances are a highlight.

Understanding the Topical Authority: Why These Films Resonate

The enduring power of films like Beautiful Boy and the titles listed above lies in their ability to humanize the complex entities of addiction and mental illness. They shift the focus from moral judgment to the scientific and emotional reality of the disease. By exploring themes such as codependency, the trauma of relapse, and the non-linear path of recovery, these movies offer a vital form of cinema therapy.

The rise of high-quality dramas focusing on the opioid crisis and mental health awareness, particularly those from the 2018-2022 period, signifies a cultural shift. Modern films are increasingly moving away from the sensationalism of older addiction narratives, instead offering a more empathetic and medically informed look at the profound strain placed on the entire family unit. The performances by actors like Hugh Jackman, Glenn Close, and Mila Kunis in these films ensure that the emotional weight of these true stories is felt long after the credits roll.