Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A young boy has lost his mother and is losing touch with his father and the world around him. Then he meets Hesher who manages to make his life even more chaotic.
Hesher is a genuinely strange and singular film — Joseph Gordon-Levitt's feral, anarchic character is unlike almost anything else in indie drama, and the film earns real Novelty points for its unpredictable tone that blends raw grief with absurdist dark comedy. The acting is a clear standout: Gordon-Levitt commits ferociously to an unhinged performance, Natalie Portman brings quiet vulnerability, and the young Devin Brochu carries enormous emotional weight. The plot is serviceable but somewhat episodic and loose, functioning more as a series of provocations than a tightly structured narrative. Cinematography is competent indie fare without particular visual distinction. The ending offers emotional resolution but feels slightly conventional given the film's otherwise wild energy.