Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.
Boyhood's towering achievement is its unprecedented 12-year production, filming the same cast as they genuinely aged — a feat of novelty that is truly one-of-a-kind in cinema. Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette (Oscar-winning), and Ethan Hawke deliver naturalistic, lived-in performances that feel irreplaceable. The cinematography is competent and observational but unremarkable stylistically. The plot is deliberately episodic and slice-of-life, which suits the concept but doesn't constitute a traditionally strong narrative arc. The ending, while emotionally honest, is deliberately low-key and anticlimactic — some find it profound, others underwhelming. Overall, a singular cinematic achievement driven by its concept and performances.