Hesher

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Cast & Crew

Natalie Portman
Nicole

Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Hesher

Rainn Wilson
Paul Forney

Devin Brochu
T.J.

Piper Laurie
Madeleine Forney

Brendan Hill
Dustin

John Carroll Lynch
Larry

Monica Staggs
Mom

Spencer Susser
Director

Spencer Susser
Screenwriter

David Michôd
Screenwriter

Lucy Cooper
Producer

Matthew Weaver
Producer

Scott Prisand
Producer

Spencer Susser
Producer

Natalie Portman
Producer

Johnny Lin
Producer

Win Sheridan
Producer

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Critic Reviews for Hesher

Audience Reviews for Hesher

• Jul 28, 2013

  An alternate Mary Poppins.
  Marcus W Super Reviewer
• Jul 23, 2013

  Hesher follows a typical metalhead who does crazy things. He's a loner who hates the world and everything around him. He doesn't care what he does, no matter how destructive it turns out to be. When he enters a house, where a grieved father, a son, and the grandmother lives, he does whatever he can to make them feel happy again. Even though he tries to cheer them up as they cope the death of the kid's mom, it doesn't seem like what he's doing is helpful. When I found out that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman was in this movie, I had to check it out. When I did, I was impressed. I have to admit that I would be lying if I said it was a perfectly made film. It's a great film, and there was a lot to like here. I'm a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and I intended to see what he'll do in this movie. He really carried this film with his strong performance as the self titled character. The storyline was depressing, but it did had few funny moments and an ending that had a good message. It's considered a Comedy-Drama film, but the comedy side isn't that typical Adam Sandler kind of funny. It's more of a dark comedy that's meant to shock you. The storyline could've been better if it had to deep deeper into the characters. You don't know who the characters are or know why they do what they do. Hesher is a person who happened to come out of the blue. It doesn't go further into his life. All we know is that he's a loner who does crazy stuff most metalheads do. It looks like it was trying to describe what metalheads typically do, which I give credit for. I'm not a metalhead, and I don't do the crazy things he did here, but I sometimes feel like giving the world a middle finger. I'm sure many of you feel the same way whenever something aren't going right the way you wanted. Therefore, despite the lack of character development, the description for Hesher sums it up. The rest of the characters are not so well developed either. All you know is that the kid and the father feel depressed about the mother's death. TJ's goal is to get his dad's car back for an unknown reason. He thinks he's old enough to drive it, but he doesn't realize he's a kid. His dad, Paul Forney, does nothing but taking pills day by day, so he can cope the death of his wife. Their behavior doesn't change throughout the whole movie, so they are one-dimentional. Their moods do change at the end of the movie, however, even Hesher's. The cast here delivered their strong performance, even if the script and their characters have bits of flaws. Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivered a memorable performance in his career. If you seen him in 500 days of Summer, you will not see him the same way again. He went from playing a charming, lighthearted character to someone who's arrogant and vulgar. He pulls it off outstandingly. Natalie Portman receives a small portion of screen time, but she did a great job while it lasted. Rainn Wilson took a break from comedy at the time and did something new for a change. I was impressed by his performance. I never knew he would do well in his serious role, but it shows that he has talent. Kid actors are usually annoying nowadays, but Devin Brochu delivered a terrific performance. I felt that the script made it sound like he was annoying, but that didn't really kept me from being amazed by his performance. The film's strength relies on the cast, and they all did a terrific job, more likely that of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Hesher is an underrated film that didn't deserved the negativity from critics. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but I found myself enjoying everything that went on in the film, including the performances by the talented cast. I liked the movie for what it was, and there's a lot to like from it. It was depressing, yet it was funny at some parts, and you'll definitely have a good experience seeing it. Ignore the critics and see it for yourself. You'll be surprised by Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance and some of the moments the movie depicted. However, it's not a flawless film.
  Giovanni C Super Reviewer
• Jan 26, 2013

  I hear movies get called a "dark comedy" quite a bit, and usually it's either not funny, or not dark. "Hesher" is exactly what a dark comedy should be. The subject matter is very serious, and in a lot of ways heartbreaking. But there are so many crazy and funny things that happen, that this movie will not bring you down. In a lot of ways this is like the tv show "Shameless". You will root for some of the characters while hating them for what they do. A quick synopsis since most people have probably never heard of this. An anarchist named Hesher(Joseph Gordon Levitt) moves in, uninvited, with a father(Rainn Wilson, who surprisingly is the the complete straight man in this) and his son TJ. TJ's mom has died in a car accident and he and his fathers lives have spiraled downward since, especially since his dad is so grief stricken that he can't even change his clothes. Hesher is rude, perverted, loves heavy metal, and loves to set fire. Basically, the perfect person to bring a family back together. Levitt is outstanding here and just gives one of his best performances. Natalie Portman has a glorified cameo, but she does great also. But the main star and best job of the movie is TJ(Devin Brochu). This kid is amazing. I'm a sucker for movies were kids are damaged and they are constantly battling their emotions. Brochu should have gotten more attention for his performance, because it's fantastic. I heard about this in 2011 and just never got around to watching it. I'm glad I finally did, and would strongly recommend people give it a shot. Not for everyone, it's a true independent movie, but it's very entertaining, and original.
  

  Everett J Super Reviewer
• Oct 30, 2012

  Not the greatest movie ever. Would have been way better if they hadn't tried so damn hard to make Hesher so badass and instead focused a little more on script rather than provocation.
  

  Nastassia J Super Reviewer

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