Heartless (2009 film)
| Heartless | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Philip Ridley |
| Produced by |
Pippa Cross Richard Raymond |
| Written by | Philip Ridley |
| Starring |
Jim Sturgess Joseph Mawle Noel Clarke Clémence Poésy Nikita Mistry Timothy Spall |
| Music by | David Julyan |
| Cinematography | Matt Gray |
| Edited by |
Chris Gill Paul Knight |
| Distributed by |
Lionsgate (UK) IFC Films (US) |
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Release date
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Running time
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114 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Heartless is a 2009 British horror film written and directed by Philip Ridley and starring Jim Sturgess, Noel Clarke, Clémence Poésy and Eddie Marsan. This was Ridley's first film in fourteen years since 1995's The Passion of Darkly Noon. The film garnered positive reception from critics who praised the performances and dark atmospheric tone that complimented the Faustian plot.
Jamie Morgan (Jim Sturgess) is a lonely, troubled photographer with a large heart-shaped birthmark that covers nearly half of his face. He is still a virgin at 25 because a lifetime of alienation and bullying have left him unable to make friends or attract women. At the photographic studio he shares with his brother and nephew Lee, he meets aspiring model Tia (Clémence Poésy).
As Jamie develops photos from a shoot, he notices a disturbing face looking at him from the window of a house. When he goes back to investigate, he follows a suspicious man to a group of hooded vandals around a fire, who emit eerie shrieks. One notices Jamie and shrieks at him. Jamie is shocked to see a demonic lizard-like face under the hood, with huge pin-like teeth. Over time Jamie becomes aware of a series of horrific murders by Molotov cocktail that have been occurring in the neighborhood. A witness to one of the murders, a little Asian girl, tells a TV reporter that they weren’t wearing masks; the demonic faces were real. Jamie's neighbour and new-found friend, A.J. (Noel Clarke) turns up with a huge wound that looks as if it was caused by claw marks. Parts of his dismembered body then turn up in the local area.
Jamie and his mother are walking in the neighborhood when they are attacked by the demonic gang. His mother is immolated while Jamie watches helplessly, and he is savagely beaten and left for dead. While unconscious in hospital he glimpses a man in his dream who says he's waiting for Jamie. Later, he receives a phone call from a man with the same voice, and is guided to the apartment of Papa B (Joseph Mawle) and his assistant Belle (Nikita Mistry), who looks just like the little Asian girl from the TV report. Papa B offers a Faustian bargain: Jamie must fulfil Papa B's desire for chaos with occasional acts of vandalism in return for the removal of his birthmarks. Despite Papa B admitting that he was responsible for his mother's death as a way of bringing Jamie to him, Jamie consents and they shake hands. Jamie is told to immolate himself with a Molotov cocktail in order to be reborn. Jamie miraculously survives and peels away his burned skin to reveal perfect, unblemished skin.
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