Heartless (2009)

Synopsis

Deals can be made for almost anything, but at what cost? A young photographer, Jamie, soon finds out that the deal he made will have dire repercussions. 

Thoughts

I enjoy a good story. If a writer can keep me engaged until the very end is a definite cause for praise for me. Anything can be engaging. Comedy (Haunted Honeymoon), drama (Kramer vs. Kramer), biopics (Get On Up) and, of course, horror (The Descent) have many films that keep me hooked until the end. But, when a film that I want to see, and eventually watch, turns out to be something I have to watch twice because I fell asleep the first time, then we have a problem. I'll eventually get around to watching Insidious again, but let's discuss Heartless first.

Writer and director, Philip Ridley, made a decent attempt at creating a cerebral horror film. It just doesn't cut it though. You're left with something you've seen already, but that isn't what ruins it. The pacing is. A story that could have been told in probably 85 minutes is stretched out to almost two hours. Look, a movies length doesn't bother me, but when a story drags, then it's an issue. 

Another film that tries to deliver a message that just ends up being lost in translation. It's unfortunate, really. The film was shot beautifully. The visual effects were fantastic. No, they're not top of the line, but they work for Heartless. If you're a fan of this generations Doctor Who, then you'll notice a familiar face. This leads me to the most disappointing acting in the film. Not only are the characters bland and one dimensional, they just seem undeveloped. That's what Ridley could have focused on, rather than dragging out the story. Papa B is suppose to be terrifying and just isn't. For example, the scene where he is eating A.J.'s face was laughable. 

I'm on the fence about Heartless. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great either. I'd say mediocre at best. Yeah, there are a couple of ways you can interpret this film, but it doesn't leave much for the imagination. You're not exactly left wondering anything. I've watched it a few more times since I first saw it to see if maybe I was missing the "big" picture. Nope. Just your everyday, run-of-the-mill, sort of thought provoking horror fantasy thriller film. If you haven't seen it, give it a shot. You might actually enjoy it more than I did. To each their own, am I right? 

IMDB: 6.0/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 5.8/10

WeFLM: 5/10

Come for the premise. Stay for the visuals.

-kp