British artist Philip Ridley has only directed three feature films in his career. I must confess that I am not familiar with his first two films, The Reflecting Skin and The Passion of Darkly Noon, but everyone I’ve talked to says they are strange and disturbing experiences. With that in mind, I went into Ridley’s latest film, Heartless, expecting a weird, wild and haunting experience and was not disappointed.
Spoilers to follow.
Jamie (Jim Sturgess) is a young man with a heart-shaped birthmark on his face. Always self-concious about his appearance, growing up with the mark has left Jamie shy and withdrawn. He keeps to himself mostly, living at home with his mother and quietly photographing things around his neighbourhood as a hobby. However, Jamie’s quiet little corner of East London not quite what it seems; the area is plagued by gang violence at night. While most people believe that the seemingly random attacks are just gangs, Jamie soon learns that there is something much more sinister happening. His discovery will give him an opportunity to change things, but at a cost greater than anyone should pay.
