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Original painted Christmas scene, from the Cine Claus illustration set

Christmas-adjacent · 2018

Ben Is Back

28/100Festive FactorWhy it scores 28 ↓
UK certificate 15103 min
Drama

Christmas Eve sets the clock here and does little else.

Rent or buy · Sky Store →
Plan this film night ↓Can the kids watch? ↓
Explore this film 7 sections

The CineClaus Christmas score

Festive Factor

A different kind of Christmas.

Original painted Christmas scene, from the Cine Claus illustration set

A little magic in the making.

Five ingredients make the Festive Factor.
Open an ingredient to find out more.

Christmas in the storyChristmas is only the occasion.10/30

What we ask: Take Christmas out. Does the plot survive? Worth up to 30 of the 100 points.

A world dressed for ChristmasVisibly Christmas for the final act.5/20

What we ask: How much of the running time is visibly Christmas? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

The little seasonal details3 of the 10 kinds of Christmas icon we count turn up on screen.5/15

What we ask: How many kinds of Christmas icon turn up on screen: trees, lights, snow, carols and the rest? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

A Christmas heartHow far the ending rests on goodwill, family and belief: incidentally.5/20

What we ask: Does the ending depend on what Christmas means: goodwill, family, redemption, belief? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

A returning traditionNiche at Christmas (under 25,000).3/15

What we ask: Is it actually watched at Christmas in the UK? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

36/100

Cosiness Rating Rating

Mostly warm in tone. Strong threat. An unsettled ending.

How we score →
What do these scores mean?

Festive Factor measures how Christmassy a film is. Five ingredients add up to 100: story (30), setting (20), seasonal details (15), emotional heart (20) and returning tradition (15).

Cosiness is a separate score for warmth of tone, sense of safety, visual comfort, a reassuring ending and how easily you can settle into it.

How the Festive Factor works →
Your next film night

Where to watch

United KingdomChecked

Sky Store

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The story

About Ben Is Back

A teenage son in recovery from drug addiction turns up unannounced at the family home on Christmas Eve, having left rehab earlier than anyone expected. His mother, overjoyed but wary, agrees he can stay for the holiday as long as he never leaves her sight, while the rest of the household doubts him. Over the following 24 hours the past he left behind catches up with them both, and a family Christmas becomes a desperate night-long search.

The CineClaus verdict

Christmas Eve sets the clock here and does little else.

Julia Roberts is ferocious as a mother who badly wants to believe her son and can't quite manage it, and Lucas Hedges matches her scene for scene. The first half is a tense, closely watched family drama about trust at the worst possible time of year.

Then it swerves into a night-time thriller that works less well. Pick it for a night of something honest about addiction and a parent's love, and save the festive cheer for another evening.

The family desk

Can the kids watch?

15

Our take: strictly adult viewing, or older teenagers at most: drug misuse is central to the story and the strong language never lets up.

Content advice & accessibility
Our age guidance
Editorial, separate from the official 15 certificate, and never looser than it.
The people behind the film

Cast and crew

The faces in front of the camera, and the people who brought the story to life.

Main cast

In billing order
Julia Roberts
Lucas Hedges

Behind the camera

Directed by
Peter Hedges
A little more Ben Is Back

Film facts &
behind the scenes

For the fans who stay after the credits.

On set

A father directs his son

Peter Hedges directed the film, and his son Lucas Hedges plays the title role opposite Julia Roberts.

Read the story

Source: nme.com ↗ (opens in a new tab)

And at a glance

Releases and certificates
: In cinemas, rated 15. UK cinema release, three months after its limited US opening on 7 December 2018.
Sources & a note on these facts

Each production story is linked to its source, in our own words. Ending details stay behind a spoiler reveal.

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More places to find Ben Is Back, and a few good reasons to keep exploring.

In this collection

The best Christmas films for adults

Ben Is Back is in this collection

Explore the collection
Stay for another story.All collections · The Christmas Edit