Strong Performances Can’t Overcome Weak Script
IMDb rating: 7/10
After a decade of hearing it praised as a masterpiece, curiosity finally won. I liked Boyhood more than expected, but it’s not the classic it’s made out to be… 7/10 for me.
The 12-year gimmick is genuinely impressive, and individual scenes are well-crafted with solid acting all around. Ellar Coltrane does excellent work (hope to see more from him – real potential there), and Linklater deserves credit for coaxing these naturalistic performances.
But the script feels weak. It’s more scrapbook than story… a life documentary lacking dramatic momentum. I kept wanting sharper focus, a few more pivotal moments instead of just observational vignettes. The pacing suffers: sometimes engaging, sometimes stalling entirely.
The ambition is admirable, and many scenes work beautifully. Yet the episodic structure prevents it from achieving the emotional depth its runtime demands. Impressive technical achievement? Absolutely. Profound cinema? Not quite.
Worth watching once, but I understand why some find it overrated.
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