What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHoney Boy
Film · 2019
If you loved Honey Boy, start with Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 1 podcast, each matched to Honey Boy across media.
You were drawn to Honey Boy for its raw, unflinching examination of how childhood trauma shapes the adult identity.
Books on the same thread
Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything
Alyson Stoner · Book
Shares 2 threads with Honey Boy: child stardom, trauma recovery.
Like Honey Boy, this memoir strips away the facade of child stardom to reveal the grueling psychological work required to find stability after a traumatic upbringing.
Milk and Honey
Rupi Kaur · Book · 2015
Shares a thread with Honey Boy: healing.
Those who appreciated the visceral honesty of Honey Boy will connect with this poetry collection, which mirrors the painful path toward healing from intergenerational trauma.
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel · Book · 2007
Explores: Father-Daughter Relationship, Sexual Identity, Family Secrets.
Much like the father-son dynamic in Honey Boy, this graphic novel masterfully explores the complex, often painful emotional residue left by a distant and difficult father.
Pageboy
Elliot Page · Book
Explores: gender identity, self-discovery, systemic abuse.
This memoir echoes the central tension in Honey Boy, offering a vulnerable look at the systemic abuse faced by those navigating fame while discovering their true selves.
Series on the same thread
The Virtues
Shane Meadows · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with Honey Boy: Psychological Drama.
If the cycle of addiction and childhood memory in Honey Boy resonated with you, this drama provides a similarly intense look at confronting deep-seated past traumas.
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
Series · 2023
Explores: childhood exploitation, sexualization of minors, coming of age.
This documentary captures the same struggle for autonomy seen in Honey Boy, detailing the transition from a sexualized child star to a woman reclaiming her voice.
Patrick Melrose
David Nicholls · Series · 2018
Explores: Trauma, Addiction, Upper-class dysfunction.
Fans of Honey Boy will recognize the harrowing journey from a traumatic childhood to adult substance abuse and the difficult, nonlinear road toward eventual recovery depicted here.
Banana Fish
Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Honey Boy: Coming-of-age.
The focus on overcoming early life abuse in Honey Boy finds a dark, compelling parallel in this story of a young man fighting to escape his past.
Podcasts on the same thread
To Be A Boy
Podcast
Explores: raising boys, toxic masculinity, male friendships.
This podcast explores the same themes of toxic masculinity and childhood development that define the strained relationship at the heart of the narrative in Honey Boy.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Honey Boy based on a true story?
Honey Boy is a film loosely based on the real life of Shia LaBeouf. It explores his personal experiences as a child star attempting to mend a difficult relationship with his father, who struggled with alcohol abuse and legal issues over the course of a decade.
What is the primary focus of Honey Boy?
The narrative of Honey Boy centers on the strained relationship between a child actor and his father. The story spans a decade, highlighting the impact of the father's alcohol abuse and law-breaking behavior on the young star's life as he attempts to navigate their complex connection.
Does Honey Boy depict the life of a child star?
Yes, Honey Boy tells the story of a child star. The film examines the challenges he faces while growing up in the spotlight and trying to reconcile with his father, whose history of substance abuse and legal trouble defines their volatile relationship throughout the movie.
How long does the story in Honey Boy span?
The events depicted in Honey Boy take place over the course of a decade. During this time, the film follows the child star as he attempts to address and repair his relationship with his father, who is portrayed as a law-breaking and alcohol-abusing figure.