Becks (2017) User Reviews (15)

Music, Sex, Religion and Alcoholism

[Moviegoer19 · 7/10 · 7 September 2019]

Do these four usually go together? They co-existed nicely in this film, but because I'm not a fan of "lesbian folk" music I didn't care for there being so much of it! Sex - not a lot of it but what there was, was intense. Religion - the subjects of Jesus and Catholic values kept coming up. Alcoholism - seemed to be thrown in there as a non-issue except in the mind of Becks' mother and and a tease by Becks' enjoyment of booze. And then there were the main characters, all of whom were interesting and well-drawn and acted. I found the script to be very well-written; there were even a few lol moments for me.

I am very interested in most of the reviews here commenting on the "love story" in this movie. Maybe I'm really getting old, but I saw the relationship between Becks and Elyse not so much as love as lust. But then, probably most love relationships start as lust? Anyway, as I think about it, perhaps it was truly love in the end when Becks goes back to NYC without Elyse. Rather than wreck more than one person's life, she chooses to sacrifice the love/lust. So the story of "Becks the Wreck" ends on a high moral note!

Garden State for lesbians

[Codex13 · 6/10 · 18 May 2018]

Thought it was cute, reminded me a lot of Garden State. Performer returns back to childhood home and reconnects with people from the past. Lots of great lady kisses, so that was nice :) And cool to see Hayley Kioko.

A nice love story

[Lugo1989 · 7/10 · 16 February 2018]

These are quite good times for LGBT films. 2017 saw a lot of solid releases and Becks can be easily counted amongst them. It is a simple, honest story that deals with sometimes complicated feelings of love, confussion, heartbreak and being stuck in life. The characters and situations all feel real and authentic so you do care about them and wonder how it is all going to end for them. Do not be worried by the sudden drop of rating on this site. It is currently at 5.7 and definitely deserves more, plus, the rating is much higher on most other film sites. The performances are really nice as well and another thing that especially stands out are the heartfelt, good music performances by Lena Hall. Kudos to the songwriters. Becks will appeal to everyone who enjoy small character driven indie films that deal with real feelings and real-life situations.

Honest and heartfelt

[davepalante · 9/10 · 12 February 2018]

Becks is the most authentic romantic drama to come around in some time. It tells the story of a musician, played by Lena Hall, who moves home to the midwest after a breakup. Love is the center role in this film, portrayed as realistically as ever. The performances are fantastic all-around, with Lena Hall in a star-making role, fitting in several musical performances that are to die for. This film is a truthful realization of the connections we form and the bonds we break, and I would highly recommend this film to those who appreciate an honest and heartfelt story of love.

Solid Indie film with great music

[jacksgirl1959 · 8/10 · 13 July 2020]

Based on real life Allysa Robbins, a lesbian NYC folk singer. The lead actor here has every bit as good a voice as well and the acoustic take on Robbins original songs is easier to listen to. Christine Lahti is good as the unapproving Mom and the story just seems like "a week in the life". The ending isn't as good as we expected but it tells the story. Overall, a nice little movie for a rainy afternoon

Inspiring movie

[alexthesundancekid · 8/10 · 20 February 2018]

As a lover of cinema, I watch any film I can. I often find them all excellent concerning what I absorb and learn from the people responsible for making them, but the movies that move the floor for me are the best and make the experience of watching stories one of the most beautiful and positive in life. Becks is one of those films, an incredible true story about a young musician struggling with heartbreak and being a gay. Overall, a relatable story for all of those going through rough paths, artists, musicians, and people living life to the fullest. The cast is a fantastic power force in the story, led by the talented Lena Hall and Mena Suvari from one of my favorite films ever, American Beauty. Becks is a must watch if you are into indie films with a fantastic script and performances that will leave you breathless throughout the whole movie. Recommended if you want to be inspired! It's hard to find a film nowadays that stays in your mind for weeks after you watch it. Becks is one of those movies. The story, the fantastic true story about a young musician who deals with heartbreak and abandoning her career as a response to this unfortunate event. I think most of you who have a dream and a purpose in life will find this movie inspiring, relatable, and worth your time!

Touching and True

[alexandriaoconnell · 8/10 · 19 February 2018]

If you're in search of a genuine feeling (not kitschy or exploitative) LGBTQ+ movie, Becks really hits the mark. Poor Becks moves across the country for her girlfriend, only to find her in bed with another woman. Down on her luck and broken-hearted, she moves back in with her devout Catholic mom, and the tension is felt immediately (though subtle at first). She's disapproving but loving, and tries to encourage Becks where she can. The casting is great, with Tony award winner and Grammy-nominated Lena Hall as Becks, supported by Christine Lahti (Blacklist) and Mena Suvari (American Beauty), amongst others. With interesting pacing, from quick tidbits packed with information to slow building scenes ripe with expectancy, as well as note-worthy lighting effects that highlight important scenes/cues, Becks rounds out its attributes. Already boasting the US Fiction Award from the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Emerging Director Award from the St. Louis International Film Festival, Becks is racking in recognition from fans of all kinds. Oh, and did I mention the killer original soundtrack? "Lesbian folk rock" maximizes the authenticity and charisma of the film, breathing in life even when no on-screen words are uttered. This is a must-see for all fans of indie cinema.

Beautiful

[acompton-58309 · 10/10 · 13 June 2018]

A film with a huge heart. I cried several times ... reinvention is never easy, and anyone can relate to the things these characters struggle with as they reevaluate their lives and experience their authentic selves for the first time.

This movie is so sweet!

[ameliaearhart · 8/10 · 26 June 2018]

The performances, the songs, the story are all just really great. This is a total indie gem! Definitely a fun movie to watch with friends or family, and I hope young people can see it.

Loved it!!!

[mrd-84818 · 8/10 · 16 February 2018]

Becks follows the story of an up and coming musician who suffers a tough break after catching her girlfriend cheating on her, and eventually ends up moving back home to live with her mother. I think what really cemented in my love for this movie is how this film portrays love. I liked that this film highlighted what real genuine love looks like, while also maintaining the realities of a complicated romance. I think what I liked most about this film though is the writing. Throughout this movie there were so many hilarious one liners, I honestly couldn't even keep track of how many times I physically laughed out loud at the dialogue of the characters, especially the banter that takes place between Becks and her old friend Dave! The writers of this film definitely knocked it out of the part when it came to raunchy yet subtle bits of humor in this film.

Starting Over

[Minnesota_Reid · 8/10 · 25 October 2017]

This is a very nice, heartfelt movie about a New York-based songwriter and musician. After things go wrong in her life, she reluctantly returns home to the Midwest where she had never fit in. Becks begins to rebuild her personal and professional life, but...well, she wasn't known as 'Becks the Wreck' in high school for nothing.

All of the acting is first rate. The great Christine Lahti plays Beck's Mom, and there are some other familiar faces. The only downside is that it's a story that we've seen many times before. But it works, so who cares?

Refreshingly real

[ponderthis-21666 · 9/10 · 20 February 2018]

One of the best LGBT movies of the year, Becks jumps right into the action with a montage of the titular Becks moving across the country to be with her girlfriend, only to walk in on her with another woman. Devastated and broke, she is forced to move back in with her Catholic mother in St. Louis. The pacing can be a bit messy at times, and it's not an uplifting story, but it's a heartfelt movie with some jaw-dropping performances, particularly from Lena Hall. The dialogue is realistically witty and the musical interludes are beautiful, reminiscent of Eddie Vedder's work on Into the Wild but woven into the story seamlessly. This is a movie that will resonate with anyone who's felt the pain of hitting rock bottom.

I watched...

[juanmuscle · 10/10 · 31 January 2023]

This out of the blue , out of nowhere, out of the big grey matter, the thing suggested the thing and gosh am I glad it did! What a cool gem! I thougth the writing was so nice but the acting which is something I don't touch or analyze much here I thought exceeded everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The way it all comes together, both the two leads were so special and the directing was really tight the music was so sweet and the writing how it also tried to do not only something magical it reached and attempted to teach which is always nice for this is really the best way to really learn something since through art we can feel it in all of our senses forcing our creativity to imagine what if , and in some areas it was even nice than prose... very very beautfiul great job good work!

A genuinely heart felt film

[amyl519 · 10/10 · 4 December 2018]

It's not very often you stumble on an LGBT film that ends up being better than expected. The acting is amazing and the film is stunningly beautiful throughout. A really decent film that tackles love, lust and lost and does so in a non cliché way.

Good engaging movie. Filmed in St. Louis.

[gilbert-07919 · 8/10 · 14 January 2022]

Christine Lahti who portrayed the ultra-liberal alternative-lifestyle-embracing (dark-humor scary understatement) mom in Petunia, portrays in Becks the uber-Catholic straight-laced diametrically-opposed mother. Setting the movie in St. Louis is perfect for a movie with peripheral nods to modern Catholic dilemmas. The script calls for a modest indictment of her Catholicism as cold, intolerant and off-putting, but considering Lahti's real-life liberal positions, I thought she brought a very genuine flavor of inner-conflict to this mother character whose broadened acceptance seems ultimately to be driven more by the loneliness of a widowed mother, rather than by true acceptance of her daughter. Becks had a dynamite script but should have been a much longer movie because Becks has amazing potential that was never fully explored. I don't want to share any spoilers, so I will just say that the last 15 minutes of the film suddenly and hurriedly conclude several beautifully-developed plot threads that have been brewing in a way that feels like the financial backers were saying "that's a wrap!" Still the movie touches on alot of relevant facets of class boundaries, relationships, family and other topics of core current issues. The music in the movie is excellent imho, and the casting is excellent, as are all the performers.