Hillbilly Elegy Review: Always Someone Else’s Fault

Prairie Grown Reviews is reader-supported. When you purchase something through our links we may earn an affiliate commission.

Hillbilly Elegy is an intense dive into issues that plague many North Americans in their daily lives

What Happens in Hillbilly Elegy?

Hillbilly Elegy is the story of J.D. Vance as we see his life during two different stages, one being his childhood and the other his adulthood. As a child, J.D. is very close with his family, especially his Mom and his Mamaw. Although he does love his family, J.D. starts to notice problems going on in his home, especially with his mom who struggles with drug addiction while his Mamaw takes care of him a lot of the time.

Adult J.D. is now a Yale student who has moved on from his family in Ohio but after his mother has a relapse in her addiction, J.D. travels back home to help. Along the way, some old wounds are resurrected.

Who Are The Characters in Hillbilly Elegy?

J.D. Vance is from Ohio but spends his summers in Kentucky with his rest family. This movie explores both his character during his teenage and adult years. As a kid, J.D. was troubled and spent a good amount of time with the wrong crowd. With an unstable family, J.D. turns to other sources for companionship and support. As he grows older, J.D. is able to receive an education and spend time in the military. His adult self is definitely more mature and responsible, however, he still carries scars from his troubled childhood.

Hillbilly Elegy Review

Hillbilly Elegy is a very powerful movie that dives into some very intense issues. It’s based on a memoir written by JD Vance. It is a very honest and emotional look into the deeper-seated issues that many more people deal with than they’d like to admit. It is a very captivating movie, and it sparks a lot of internal questions from start to finish. This isn’t a “feel-good movie” or anything like that, but it was still a really good movie. If you are looking for a good drama, unlike The Nest, this is the one. 

This is a pretty dark story, definitely not for the faint of heart. If you have been following along, this isn’t as dark as The Devil All The Time, but still out there. But if you can handle the stark truths that this movie displays, it is a really interesting story. This one is going to relate to a lot of people because everyone has skeletons in their closets, and our families shape us in so many ways, both good and bad.

The writers do a fantastic job of bringing out the emotions of the story, and they do a great job of turning a memoir into a story built to survive on the big screen. My only issue with it is that there are a few scenes that feel wasted, either in the fact they didn’t need to make the final cut or they didn’t explore certain subjects or storylines as deeply as I would have liked to see.

The acting was quite good as well. The cast, especially Amy Adams, does a good job of bringing out the emotions in some of the more intense scenes. The drastic character shifts we see from literally one minute to the next are a reflection of how much research went into the real people behind the written characters. It was also a testament to the skill of the cast to be able to handle and display these drastic emotional shifts in a way that feels real.

Hillbilly Elegy is a pretty good movie, it is very emotional, and it shows the less shown ugly face of humanity. This movie brings out certain feelings when you are watching, and it stirs your inner emotional pot. Compared to the last few movies Netflix has released this is my favourite one for sure, and I recommend you find two hours in your day to sit down and watch this powerful film.