Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Most Criminally Underrated Movie is Now Free For Everyone

One of the best things about streaming is that each month, different platforms add movies that audiences may have missed when they first hit theaters or, in some cases, give audiences a chance to revisit a movie that maybe didn’t get the attention or appreciation it deserved at the time of release. That is particularly the case with the free streaming platform Tubi and it’s on Tubi that one of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s most underrated movies is now available to stream and while the film didn’t wow critics or audiences when it was released, it might just be one of his best roles.

Now streaming on Tubi, A Million Little Pieces was first released in theaters in 2018. The film, based on author James Frey’s book of the same name, stars Taylor-Johnson as Frey along with Billy Bob Thorton, Odessa Young, Giovanni Ribisi, Juliette Lewis, and Charlie Hunnam. The film received a dismal response from critics and audiences alike as well as performed poorly at the box office, though Taylor-Johnson’s performance was well-received.

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A Million Little Pieces Was Overshadowed By The Controversy Over the Book

The entire saga of A Million Little Pieces is an interesting one and truly overshadows the movie in just about every way. It all started in 2003 when Frey released what, at that time, presented as a memoir following his journey as a 23-year-old alcoholic and substance abuser, tracking his path through rehabilitation. It is, at times, a harrowing story — including a particularly difficult sequence involving dental treatment and a lack of anesthesia because of his addiction — and it became wildly popular after being chosen for Oprah’s book club. However, just a few years after its release, allegations surfaced that Frey had fabricated much of his life story. The author ultimately confessed that he had exaggerated. The book was later rebranded as a “semi-fictional novel”.

Rights to the book, however, had already been sold around the time of its publication and more than a decade later, the film hit theaters. The film is directed by Taylor-Johnson’s wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson and, after a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, had a limited theatrical release as well as a video-on-demand release. While the film was poorly received at the time, in retrospect it feels like the criticism of the film is less about the film and more a reaction to the book controversy, even all those years on. There are certainly some valid criticisms of the film itself. Some pointed out that the movie very much feels like every other drug rehab movie and veers into melodramatic territory, but most of the criticisms note the problematic nature of the book it’s based on. And that’s a shame because Taylor-Johnson is actually very good in the movie. Sons of Anarchy star Hunnam, who plays Frey’s brother in the film, is also solid.

If you’re able to remove the controversy about the book from the film, the movie actually works very well. It’s got solid performances and some deep emotional notes. When treated like fiction, A Million Little Pieces is a good story — and you can check it out for yourself this month on Tubi.

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