★★★½☆ (3.5/5) Raw and grounded, with a strong coming-of-age core. The film captures the instability and emotional strain of adolescence in a difficult household. The performances stand out especially the tense dynamic between the young lead and his volatile stepfather. Uncomfortable at times, but sincere and character-driven, with a lasting emotional impact.

A coming-of-age story about a rebellious teenager with an abusive stepfather. I really enjoyed it. You cheer at Toby's small victories and feel disappointed when he falls back into his bad habits. It's a 2 hour film, but by the end I felt like I had experienced so much of the protagonist's life as if I had watched an entire miniseries about him.

'This Boy’s Life' manages to produce an impressive feat: making me hate Robert De Niro! His character here, that is. I've only seen the guy in likeable roles, 'Meet the Parents' is as close as a portrayal has come to being unlikeable. Dwight, in this, is despicable! All the aforementioned is simply a plus point for the film, though. It's obviously not overly difficult to make a person garner hatred, but I do appreciate that we see how Dwight becomes the way he is - e.g. the shooting scene. It does get a touch repetitive at times, only minorly so. Not only does this flick have De Niro, it also has one Leonardo DiCaprio - in his first leading movie role, no less. Both are excellent throughout, positives can too be remarked about Ellen Barkin's performance. Elsewhere, youthful Tobey Maguire and Carla Gugino also appear. An uncomfortable watch, but it is a very good release from 1993.

Concrete. A place to run away from.

Good movie but a bit thin at times. Was expecting it to be a bit grittier with the domestic violence throughout but only really comes in to full light at the end. One thing that bugs me is his scholarship, they will sus him out and realise in no time hes not academically equipped for the school?…