73
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonSan Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonThe absorbing rags-to-riches-to-rags story — a must for any classic film fan — is told in The Most Beautiful Boy in the World, directed by Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri.
- 80CineVueChristopher MachellCineVueChristopher MachellAndrésen became an overnight worldwide sensation and, through the lens of documentarians Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri, an object lesson in the exploitation of children by the entertainment industry.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawIt is a desperately unhappy story, sympathetically told by film-makers Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri.
- 80The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyAndresen’s determination to rise above misfortune, and his hopes for himself, make this movie less than a total tragedy. But it’s an often shudder-inducing cautionary tale.
- 80VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanIt’s a small, impressionistic, oddly heartfelt movie about beauty, stardom, adoration, exploitation, and loss. Oh, is it ever about loss.
- 75RogerEbert.comRobert DanielsRogerEbert.comRobert DanielsThe Most Beautiful Boy in the World isn’t a perfect watch, and it's often confusing and confounding. But it gets at the heart of this forlorn figure, a once idol turned tragic Greek hero. It’s unflinching, and one of the most honest portraits of the pitfalls that can happen in child stardom.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckKristina Lindstrom and Kristian Petri’s fascinating, if diffuse, documentary fills in that considerable blank in his public profile while making clear the lingering emotional impact of Andrésen’s brush with fame.
- 60EmpireSophie Monks KaufmanEmpireSophie Monks KaufmanThis documentary has value as a damning account of the film-world’s treatment of a child actor, yet as a piece of art and a personal portrait, its vagueness creates unease.
- 50Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinThe result is a cinematic curio in search of a more conclusive theme and emotional payoff.