Ben is Back

"While Roberts delivers a skillful performance of strength and cautious care, writes Amanda Jane Robinson, the film's not particularly interesting."

"Ben Is Back makes you dream of a world in which no one needs movies like Ben Is Back."

"Most movies are focused directly on the present moment, following along with a story as it unfolds, but "Ben Is Back" is different, creating the sense that the lives of each of its richly shaded characters continues even when she or he is not on-screen."

"What is so moving and effective about Roberts's work here is her shrewd subversion of her long-established persona."

"There are good intentions and good performances here, but they're squandered in a movie that isn't quite sure what it should be and how far it should go."

"Addiction dramas are a tough ask to get right. Make them too gritty and real and they'll never be seen. Too white-washed and they're betraying their own subjects. It seems to me that Ben is Back walks a mostly successful line between the two."

"Julia Roberts blasts through this family reunion drama-turned-thriller with one of the most forceful performances of her career."

""Ben Is Back" may lose its way early and often, but it is rarely in danger of losing hold of your attention."

"The film is aware of the weight of its subject but loathe to behave like an "important" film - focusing instead on the specificity of one sick young man and the family that loves and fears him in almost equal measure."