Heartless – Review (Fantastic Fest)

Internal struggle is a difficult beast to tame. Everyday we are forced to watch pretty people prance around on television while acting like spoiled brats. The hottest trends, fashions, diet plans, and energy drinks are sold to the general public with reckless abandon. Philip Ridley’s Heartless offers up a unique perspective on the human condition. It asks the question; how far would you go to fit in?

Jamie Morgan (Jim Sturgess) is a photographer that struggles daily with his appearance. He has a heart shaped birthmark on the left side of his face and another huge one on his right shoulder that trails down his back. If this isn’t enough, a gang wearing demon masks are terrorizing his neighborhood by throwing molotov cocktails at innocent bystanders. On top of all that Jamie wants a woman to love him, but is so uncomfortable with his appearance that he decides to make a deal with the devil, or Papa B (Joseph Mawle) as he’s known in the flick. Jamie soon finds out that selling your soul comes with stiff consequences.

Jim Sturgess is pitch perfect as Jamie Morgan. His performance is an enthralling emotional roller-coaster ride. He hits highs and lows with an impressive ease that makes it hard to take your eyes off of him. The supporting cast is stellar as well, perfectly elevating the tension on screen.

Heartless took me for a ride I won’t soon forget. It hit all the right notes, and while the subject matter is somewhat cliché its fresh execution made up for it. The visual style of the flick is artful, but Ridley obviously understands the balance needed to reach a wide audience. Before Heartless, director Philip Ridley wasn’t on my radar, but now I’m excited to discover his back catalog.

Do yourself a favor and see Heartless as soon as possible, because it is absolutely a killer film.

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