51
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertOn the basis of this film, Monty Lapica, at 24, has a career ahead of him as a director, an actor or both. He also has a life ahead of him, which the film does a great deal to make clear.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThere's a palpable element of honesty in Lapica's writing and lead performance that gives this indie production, the edge over other troubled teen dramas.
- 70VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangSearing portrait of an out-of-control youth who winds up in a decidedly shady rehab center has more than its share of teen-angst cliches but still makes a surprisingly trenchant tearjerker, thanks to strong acting from all quarters and an especially blistering perf from Lapica.
- 50The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThough buoyed by Anthony Marinelli’s moody score and Denis Maloney’s gutsy cinematography, Self-Medicated suffers from severe dramatic droop.
- Self-Medicated is not loathsome or lurid, just one-sided and in need of guidance -- ironically so, because that's what its protagonist so steadfastly refuses to accept. The movie's lack of nuance is balanced by its good intentions.
- 50Chicago ReaderJ.R. JonesChicago ReaderJ.R. JonesThe scenes of his incarceration and escape from the place are gripping, thanks mainly to Michael Bowen as the hard-ass staffer who wants to break him. But the movie slides toward melodrama with some stale business about the hero spreading his late father's ashes.
- 42The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasIt's a personal story that feels like it's been constructed from other movies.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceSelf-Medicated reveals itself as a narcissistic fantasy about the misunderstood kid with a heart of gold who finally figures out how to get his shit together: "Good Will Hunting" with a side of Capracorn.
- 38Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsLapica isn't yet enough of a writer or director (or an actor) to make the dramatic arc unpredictable in any way. It may be effective for some as therapy. It is far less so as cinematic storytelling.
- 25Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill WhiteSeattle Post-IntelligencerBill WhiteBefore the movie reaches its climax, it has created a mess that requires divine intervention.