- Starring
- Björn Andrésen
- Writers
- Kristina Lindström, Kristian Petri
- Directors
- Kristina Lindström, Kristian Petri
- Rating
- n/a
- Running Time
- 93 minutes
- Release Date
- n/a
Overall Score
Rating Summary
This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.
For those who didn’t know, The Most Beautiful Boy in the World, is a documentary about the man who had his face gruesomely smashed in Midsommar but the story of Björn Andresen was something much more than that, Proclaimed in the early 1970s as “The Most Beautiful Boy in the World” following his breakout role in 1971’s Death in Venice, Andresen was set on an uneasy path for the rest of his life as the burden from this status that had essentially stigmatized him for the rest of his childhood and into his adult years as he fought to not let that shape his identity. Using extensive archive footage and interviews with the prominent figures in his life and with Andresen now in his 60s, the film looks at Andresen sudden rise to stardom and the questionable treatment of him by those looking to objectify and exploit him for their personal gain. Coming from a troubled childhood and then becoming an international star overnight, there was certainly a dark side that took a toll on him.
The trauma from Andresen’s treatment as he recounted it is definitely uncomfortable to hear though these feelings were surely tenfold for him. Meanwhile, the sheer obsession by those of him would destroy anybody. All of this adds up to make The Most Beautiful Boy in the World a truly heartbreaking watch. While the archival footage was compelling to watch, the reflections from Andresen later into his life about the impact of his whirlwind of a childhood were truly powerful to watch as it relegated him to a mere shell of his former self. It’s just a shame that the film couldn’t find a better balance between the two as it could have used more of the latter.
In the end, The Most Beautiful Boy in the World is a heartbreaking yet important watch and a warning that is still very relevant today.
still courtesy of Sundance
If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.
The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
