‘Ben Is Back’ Official Trailer Shows Off Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges’ Acclaimed Performance

Roadside Attractions has debuted the official trailer for “Ben Is Back,” the upcoming family drama from “Dan in Real Life” and “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” director Peter Hedges. The movie stars the director’s son, “Manchester by the Sea” and “Lady Bird” favorite Lucas Hedges, opposite Julia Roberts, Courtney B. Vance, and Kathryn Newton.

“Ben Is Back” centers around the title character (Hedges), a 19-year-old who unexpectedly returns home to his family’s suburban home on Christmas Eve morning. Ben’s mother, Holly (Roberts), tries to keep the family at peace as her son’s troubled bast rises back to the surface, including his history of substance abuse.

While reviews out of the Toronto International Film Festival were mixed, most critics lauded the performances by Hedges and Roberts, the latter of whom earned some best actress buzz. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich wrote in his review that Hedges more than holds his own opposite Roberts with a “clenched and wounded” performance that “exists in the narrow space between coming back for a day, and being gone forever.”

“Ben Is Back” opens in theaters December 7. Watch the official trailer below.