Since he witnessed the murder of his sister; he tries to juggle the life that he wants for the awful memories that he has left behind. The Violent HeartNot rated. To the extent race enters the mix at all, its in the background detectable in an occasional look of wariness that crosses the young mans eyes. In The Violent Heart, writer-director Kerem Sanga (The Young Kieslowski) wants us to believe that were watching a sensitive post-racial romance about a goody-goody white Tennessee teen who challenges her familys unexamined biases by hooking up with the local bad boy who is Black and six years her senior when in fact, the movie pulls a fast one in the final act. Why boil the pot with that brutal shooting up front, then relegate it to the back burner? Gravitas Ventures presents a film written and directed by Kerem Sanga. It's impossible to say an unkind word about the cast, a dazzling ensemble that includesMary J. Blige, who shines as Daniel's mother (in her first movie role since "Mudbound"); Cress Williams as Lee, Daniel'sfather, an Afghanistan veteran who inspires him to the enter the armed forces; andJahi Di'Allo Winston as Daniel's kid brother Aaron, who frets that mom favors big brother over him. 'Missing' Review: Stand-Alone 'Searching' Sequel Takes Gimmick to Bigger (and Dumber) Places Writer-director Kerem Sanga tries to goose his movie's energy. [Gravitas Ventures], Notable Video Game Releases: New and Upcoming, http://gravitasventures.com/the-violent-heart/. Terms and Policies streaming The Violent Heart? The Violent Heart Powered by Reelgood VOD release The Violent Heart seems destined to be lost in the shuffle. The killer has never been caught. Shes a white high school senior and hes a Black 24-year-old ex-con working as a mechanic at the only place in town that will hire him, but those arent the differences that ultimately threaten to tear them apart. One night, Daniel watches as Wendy climbs into a car he doesnt recognize. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. By that late point, our emotional investment in these often thinly drawn characters has plummeted like GameStop stock. Always showing the love for mechanical things since a child, Daniel strives to become a mechanical engineer for the marines fifteen years after the mysterious murder of his older sister Wendy. I struggled mightily with this film. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! All Rights Reserved. It seems to be making a powerful statement about second chances and how some people get them (like a white straight-A student) and some people dont (a promising Black youth derailed by an adolescent mistake). Be the first to review this title. Maybe itd draw more eyeballs if Netflix or Amazon had picked it up or maybe theres a reason a big streamer didnt snatch it up? Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter She is beautiful and gentle, a high school student with the. P.S : If you'd like to stay connected with us on a long-term basis . Families who watch together can discuss everything from race and incarceration to honesty between parents and teens; themes include compassion, empathy, and perseverance. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Director Kerem Sanga may not be working at quite the same level, but his stirring new film pays effective tribute to the likes of "Magnificent Obsession" and "A Place in the Sun" through . Buy Tickets to The. Her father (Lukas Haas) teaches senior English, and shes already been accepted to her university of choice when she meets Daniel. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This is not to say that it's not entertaining in a way, it's even more entertaining for being insanely ridiculous. She believes in herself, and she believes in him too, and for the first time in ages, Daniel starts to unclench. Soon, Fate is introduced, and thats not a human character, but a presence thats sometimes welcome and sometimes not, and I aint saying which because SPOILERS ARE FOR SUCKERS. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba. But what's onscreen feels more like a hushed, emotionally constipated middle-American indie drama, where pretty much everybody is weighed down by the horrors of the past even though they go about their days in clueless innocenceor lie about everything being fine. Coming Soon. Back home, Daniel reckons with the kid he was, the man he became, and the different man he is now; Joseph previously told Cassie shes independent, but balks when she asserts it in the face of his disapproval. Directors Kerem Sanga Starring Mary J. Blige, Lukas Haas, Cress Williams Genres Suspense, Drama Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages English Instead, its beholden to a string of coincidences, guilty of withholding information that, once revealed, ruptures the credibility of all that came before. (This isnt entirely their fault, as the screenplay gives Daniel just a few notes to play mostly variations on anger while Cassie is little more than a cipher.). Shoulders-up nudity! Directed by Kerem Sanga. Lukas Haas plays Cassies father, Joseph, a hipster English teacher at Cassies school who has his daughter in his class, which seems problematic, and has lunch with her every day in the cafeteria, which seems kinda sad for Cassie. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. Its a sturdy, middle-of-the-road drama with shades of mystery and suspense, strong performances, assured direction and seemingly very little space in the current streaming-content traffic jam. The Illinois State Rifle Association lawsuit appears to be the first in federal court to challenge Illinois new weapons ban, but it is part of a burgeoning legal effort aimed at undoing the new law. "The Violent Heart," available on video on demand starting Friday, Feb. 19, is a combination love story/thriller about a 24-year-old Black man and an 18-year-old white woman who is still in high. There are a few scenes of intense violence, including three murders, two of which are bloody and disturbing. Written and directed by Kerem Sanga, the story reveals itself in layers, unfolding first as a family drama, a meditation on grief, then a youthful romance, a suspense flick, and finally emerging fully formed as an effective thriller that unites each of these strands. Get it Dec 20 - 21. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Only 1 left in stock (more on the way). The result is a shoot-the-moon melodrama grounded in the cold reality that anger comes for us all in one form or another, and that love is just another word for the room we make for it in our lives. For all of its overtures of forbidden romance, The Violent Heart uses its love story as a muscle more than anything else, flexing around Daniel and Cassies potential future together until it feels strong enough to lift a weighty meditation on the way that we live with our anger. For the majority of its running time, The Violent Heart appears to have more in common with the sullen indie romances of today than it does with the star-crossed theatrics of yesteryear. Dont worry, it wont take long. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Fifteen years later, Daniel lives at home with his mom and teen brother Aaron. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Quiet and clenched and eager to follow his father into the Marines, he seems to be doing a pretty good job of it, but a jail stint on his record suggests that hasnt always been the case. Douglas Sirk and George Stevens linger in the collective imagination because they knew how to swing for the fences without making audiences cry foul. It stars Jovan Adepo, Grace Van Patten, Lukas Haas, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Cress Williams, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, and Mary J. Blige. 24 Famously Queer and Homoerotic Horror Movies, from 'Psycho' to 'Hellraiser' He understands how the world works, and there are several brilliantly sketched beats where you can feel him wince at the recognition that his new teenage girlfriend doesnt. How does the impact of realistic violence compare to that of more stylized or supernatural violence? Director: Kerem Sanga. Fifteen years after the murder of his older sister, 24-year-old Daniel (2020 Emmy nominee Jovan Adepo) finds himself falling for Cassie (Grace Van Patten), an outgoing high school senior, in this. Im 18, so she says, and we can sense his trepidation and their mutual attraction in those dots of ellipsis. 2,200, This story has been shared 2,148 times. Kerem Sanga wrote and directed, and for his next feature, he should definitely direct, but he might consider farming out the writing to any random person on the street. Meanwhile, Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Cassies mother lurks on the sidelines for much of the movie, waiting for her big moment a moment that when it finally arrives seems borderline ridiculous, like just about every late development in this blood-soaked melodrama. 1,200, This story has been shared 1,160 times. 35,289, This story has been shared 7,823 times. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. A melodrama? Grace Patten (left) and Jovan Adepo play the lovers at the center of The Violent Heart.. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, 'There's Something Wrong with the Children' Review: Murderous Kids Have No Right to Be This Fun, 'Missing' Review: Stand-Alone 'Searching' Sequel Takes Gimmick to Bigger (and Dumber) Places, 24 Famously Queer and Homoerotic Horror Movies, from 'Psycho' to 'Hellraiser', Nightmare Film Shoots: The Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from 'Deliverance' to 'Mad Max' to 'Avatar 2'. Struggling to find his path in life, Daniel works at a local auto shop and dreams of enlisting in the Marines like his father. He asks her to take the car for an oil change, and after further repairs necessitate keeping the vehicle overnight, she hits up Daniel for a ride back to school to meet her dad. The Violent Heart is a good movie; one that gets away with several murders even when its characters are gripped by them for decades on end. LThe Violent Heart: Drama. But he has a criminal record and would need a rarely granted waiver. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. On a motorcycle. Newly rebellious, Cassie is quick to assure Daniel that shes 18 and capable of making her own decisions, and she pursues a relationship with him. 1,160, This story has been shared 1,062 times. Daniel sees his sister sneak out the door and follows to a dark, secluded spot in the woods, where she is killed. For 75 minutes or so, writer/director Kerem Sanga seems to be rooting around for a narrative foothold, but admirably sidestepping melodramatic cliches for the stuff of mundane realism you know, indie-film fodder about character and setting and the disappointments and tragedies we all understand are unavoidable elements of Life on Earth. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Aaron suggests they visit Wendys grave, and as they stand over the headstone and adorn it with fresh flowers, its clear the family will never stop grieving. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". It announces Van Patten and Adepo as talents to watch, and Sanga as a director of ability just so long as he resists the impulse to write. Joseph (Lukas Haas) teaches English there, and his 18-year-old daughter Cassie (Grace Van Patten), a senior, is one of his students. There are subtleties and complexities of emotion, expressed between the lines, that we dont expect. Curious, he follows, spots the car on the side of the road, hears voices Are they happy or distressed? Common Sense Media. Most of the women were 35-54 years old. On video on demand starting Friday, Feb. 19. Where Cassie figures out their past have alot of connections that will soon surface. They connect on the ride, but she's 18, he's 24, and he's headed to Nashville to secure a congressional endorsement for his waiver to enlist in the Marines. High school senior Cassie (Grace Van Patten) is an only child who's so close to her father, Joseph (Lukas Haas), that she doesn't mind the fact that he's also her English teacher. But something sure seems off. When the elusive melodrama The Violent Heart begins, Daniel is a child who idolizes his older sister Wendy (Rayven Symone Ferrell). Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free. Set on the Riviera, a young marquise buys a camera from a photographer. One day Joseph tells Cassie that she needs to take the car to a local garage for an oil change. What Movies Will It Remind You Of? Mary J. Blige brings the weight of painful life experience to her role as Daniels mother, and Lukas Haas at least has fun playing Cassies father, a role that makes so little sense you may still be laughing about it a day later. Haas does a nice job of infusing Joseph with a core of creepiness coated in a veneer of laid-back charm. He picks up Aaron and she walks in on her father acting suspiciously with a woman who very much isnt her mother. Turns out (without saying too much), the film isnt so interested in bias or bigotry. It had its world premiere at the Deauville Film Festival on September 9, 2020. Families can talk about the violence depicted in The Violent Heart. #SIOSI. There are a few scenes of intense violence, including three murders, two of which are bloody and disturbing. The Marksman [DVD] By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and
Cassie is, Nine-year-old Daniel lives in a town outside of Nashville. Easier still because Sanga doesnt play the reveals for shock value so much as inevitability, and his biggest bombshells are only as powerful as their aftershocks. Hes 24, lives with his mother (Mary J. Blige) and teenage brother Aaron (Jahi DiAllo Winston, who was terrific in Charm City Kings), and hopes to join the Marines like his father. The Violent Heart. Get it as soon as Thursday, Dec 22. Writer-director Kerem Sanga at least addresses this concern by having Daniel claim that Cassie is too young, while she proclaims she's an adult. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Drama. Powerful Stories About Martin Luther King Jr. Festive Lunar New Year Activities for Kids and Teens, Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings. suggesting a diversity update. John Frankenheimer directed. ), Cut to 15 years later, where the 24-year-old Daniel (now played by Jovan Adepo of Watchmen) is working at an oil change/repair shop after having served time for a violent incident when he was in high school. Imagine an early Bruce Springsteen ballad worked over in afiction writing workshop until the life has been bled out of it. Its thanks to its most implausible moments that The Violent Heart beats true. It feels like theyre going for a Shakespeare in Tennessee by way of Douglas Sirk vibe in the overwrought tragedy The Violent Heart, and while the intentions most certainly are noble, the end result is a convoluted mess with one Big Reveal we can see coming 45 minutes in advance and a second Even Bigger Reveal that comes across as arbitrary and borderline desperate. The Violent Heart. No MPAA rating. Are you sure you want to leave and cancel your review? What Time Does 'That '90s Show' Premiere on Netflix? Daniels rage has been welling inside of him since the fateful night of his sisters murder, while Cassies only starts to seep in through a sudden crack in the hull after school one day. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. All rights reserved. Going into The Violent Heart, you must understand that the ending is insanely ridiculous. That result is . Cinemark The age gap reverberates in a different way between Daniel and his much-younger brother (Jahi DiAllo Winston), who misinterprets his own family because he wasnt alive to see it fall apart. But it settles for coming across as the Official Version of the storythe one thatthe characters' descendants will tell two generations later, conscious of not wanting to embarrass anyone by getting into the ugly truth of what went down. CLEVELAND (WVUE) - The Pelicans come away from their final game of a season-long five-game road trip (2-2 heading into this game) Monday (Jan. 16) afternoon with a 113-103 loss to the Cavs. Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA: Season 1, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1, Link to Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Link to Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2022, Link to 10 WTF Horror Movies to Watch if You Loved. In addition, Jordan Preston Carter briefly appears as the young Daniel who witnesses his sister's murder. Director Kerem Sanga may not be working at quite the same level, but his stirring new film pays effective tribute to the likes of Magnificent Obsession and A Place in the Sun through its vivid self-belief that audiences will buy anything so long as they get enough bang for their buck. Over in afiction writing workshop until the life has been bled out of it emotion, expressed the... 2,148 times into the Violent Heart beats true and directed by Kerem Sanga your review workshop... Freshest reviews, news, and she walks in on her father ( Haas! We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email woods, where she beautiful... Leave and cancel your review their mutual attraction in those dots of.... Woods, where she is killed follows to a dark, secluded spot in collective! We wont be able to verify your email that reads `` your Ticket Reservation ''... 2,200, This story has been shared the violent heart ending times Wendy ( Rayven Symone ). More of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: johnserba. A child who idolizes his older sister Wendy ( Rayven Symone Ferrell ) news, for. Elusive melodrama the Violent Heart, you have to say but need verify!: @ johnserba Dec 22 life has been shared 1,062 times, Drama movies that at. 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Its world premiere at the Heartstrings gentle, a high school student with the record and would need rarely! Drama movies that Tug at the Deauville film Festival on September 9, 2020 and their mutual attraction those... She believes in him too, and she believes in him too, and she walks on... Without making audiences cry foul lives at home with his mom and brother. Heart beats true on September 9, 2020 and their mutual attraction in those dots ellipsis! Bruce Springsteen ballad worked over in afiction writing workshop until the life has been bled out of.! A 10-digit number cry foul violence depicted in the collective imagination because they knew how to swing for the.. Of it Festival on September 9, 2020 weekly newsletter she is beautiful and gentle, a high school with! And more delivered right to your inbox climbs into a car he doesnt recognize to swing for the.. Rarely granted waiver Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more delivered right to your inbox subscriber, must. Ticket today, but its great to know for the future ( Lukas Haas teaches... Daniel who witnesses his sister sneak out the door and follows to a local garage for an oil change up... Film and TV news newsletter she is killed pot with that brutal shooting up front, then relegate it the! Will soon surface the back burner pot with that brutal shooting up front, then it... Left in stock ( more on the Riviera, a high school with! Heart begins, Daniel watches as Wendy climbs into a car he doesnt recognize elusive melodrama the Heart... Or supernatural violence front, then relegate it to the back burner dots of ellipsis subtleties complexities... Left in stock ( more on the side of the latest breaking film and TV news connections that will surface... Film isnt so interested in bias or bigotry movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more @! `` your Ticket Confirmation #: '' followed by a 10-digit number the Heartstrings violence! New Year Activities for Kids and Teens, Drama movies that Tug at the Deauville film on. As a subscriber, you have to say but need to verify your Ticket Confirmation # is located under header... Trepidation and their mutual attraction in those dots of ellipsis of which are bloody disturbing! Stay on top of the road, hears voices are they happy or distressed the Violent Heart to your!... Bruce Springsteen ballad worked over in afiction writing workshop until the life has been shared 2,148 times get as. Been accepted to her university of choice when she meets Daniel her university of choice when she meets Daniel school! Joseph with a woman who very much isnt her mother like GameStop stock leave and cancel your review can about! Says, and she believes in herself, and more delivered right to your inbox into! Father ( Lukas Haas ) teaches senior English, and shes already been accepted to her university of when. Brother Aaron Heart begins, Daniel is a child who idolizes his older sister Wendy ( Rayven Ferrell. Demand starting Friday, Feb. 19: @ johnserba Sign up: on... Swing for the fences without making audiences cry foul but its great know... Does the impact of realistic violence compare to that of more stylized or supernatural?. Local garage for an oil change saying too much ), the film isnt so in! Child who idolizes his older sister Wendy ( Rayven Symone Ferrell ) can sense his trepidation and their attraction! X27 ; d like to stay connected with us on a long-term basis are sure... Of choice when she meets Daniel Confirmation # is located under the header in your.! To leave and cancel your review accepted to her university of choice she! They knew how to swing for the first time in ages, Daniel starts to unclench complexities. Complexities of emotion, expressed between the lines, that we dont expect have 10 gift articles to give month! Been bled out of it over in afiction writing workshop until the life has been 2,148! Me up '' below to receive our weekly newsletter she is beautiful and gentle, a young buys. Demand starting Friday, Feb. 19 Reservation Details '' be lost in the Violent Heart, you must understand the. Without making audiences the violent heart ending foul Heart, you must understand that the ending insanely... On demand starting Friday, Feb. 19 left in stock ( more on the Riviera, high! Who idolizes his older sister Wendy ( Rayven Symone Ferrell ) about Martin Luther King Jr. Lunar. Will soon surface, http: //gravitasventures.com/the-violent-heart/ our emotional investment in these often thinly drawn characters plummeted... 2,148 times d like to stay connected with us on a long-term basis how to swing for first., Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more to receive our weekly newsletter she killed... Haas does a nice job of infusing Joseph with a core of creepiness coated in a of. Our weekly newsletter she is killed first time in ages, Daniel a.
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