No MPAA rating. 'Masterpiece' Head Susanne Simpson Teases 'Sanditon' Season 3 Is Her "Favorite One" Yet, Millie Bobby Brown is a Sword-Wielding Dragon-Slayer in First Damsel Footage. . ), 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. He listens for the quiet echoes that ripple out from even the most explosive moments, and thats never been easier to appreciate than it is during the nuclear fallout that detonates at the end of his latest film. The problem with"The ViolentHeart" isn't that it goes too far, it's that it doesn't go far enough. 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 . [12], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Mary J. Blige, Lukas Haas Join Coming-of-Age Romance 'The Violent Heart' (Exclusive)", "Tribeca Sets Feature Lineup Of Films For 2020 Fest", "Tribeca Film Festival Postponed Amid Coronavirus Fears", "Gravitas Ventures Acquires Tribeca Thriller 'The Violent Heart', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Violent_Heart&oldid=1116435090, This page was last edited on 16 October 2022, at 15:13. Shes outgoing and chatty, and hes a little cold, but he thaws a little in her presence. Both romantic leads are as strong as the screenplay allows them to be, which is strong enough to make us care about them, even as the movie falls apart. New Amy Winehouse Biopic 'Back To Black' Getting Roasted After Early Set Photos Leak: "No No No", Leslie Jones Makes Sexual Jokes About New MLK Statue but Tells "White People" to Stay Quiet. 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. A melodrama? Browse titles with similar subject matter. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. [11] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 49 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Your privacy is important to us. Powerful Stories About Martin Luther King Jr. Festive Lunar New Year Activities for Kids and Teens, Drama Movies That Tug at the Heartstrings. The great pleasure of The Violent Heart lies in discovering what kind of movie it actually is. Fifteen years later, Daniel lives at home with his mom and teen brother Aaron. Before he met Cassie, he was a curled fist, ready to smash at the unfair world around him, to take his revenge, perhaps. There were 8 other movies released on the same date, including Nomadland, The Mauritanian and Test Pattern. Hes 24 years old with a criminal record, yet he has started to rebound. 35,289, This story has been shared 7,823 times. Check out The Violent Heart Official Trailer starring Jovan Adepo and Grace Van Patten! Mary J. Blige gives the most heartfelt and resonant performance in the film as Daniels mother, who seems to favor the troubled Daniel over Daniels much younger, model student brother (Jahi DiAllo Winston). : Everything We Know About 'The Resident' Season 7. Other lawsuits have been filed in state court. Struggling to find his path in life, Daniel works at a local auto shop and dreams of enlisting in the Marines like his father. Years later, Daniel (Jovan Adepo) is still dealing with the aftermath of this traumatic experience. Still, she starts to act out, skipping school and responding to the roar of Daniels motorcycle like a straitlaced Natalie Wood in Rebel Without a Cause. Per the press notes, Sanga had that movie in mind when justifying the overripe parental showdowns still in store the contrivances required to pull off an ending that drives a stake through the peaceful yet passionate heart of whats come before. Novak, Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Drop' on Hulu, an Offbeat Relationship Comedy Led by Anna Konkle, Stream It Or Skip It: To Leslie on VOD, in Which Andrea Riseborough Gives a Riveting Portrayal of a Woman in the Grip of Alcoholism, Netflix Warns Wall Street To Expect Worst Q4 Subscriber Growth Since 2014, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Mayor of Kingstown' Season 2 on Paramount+, Where Jeremy Renner Returns As A Brooding Fixer Between Cop And Criminal, Stream It Or Skip It: Mrs. In other cases, its best just to accept the surprise and move on, salvaging what you can of the experience. 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. 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. Families can talk about the violence depicted in The Violent Heart. Poor Cassie just doesn't get it. When a local, 18-year-old high school senior named Cassie (Grace Van Patten) stops in to get the oil changed on her fathers car, what starts off as an awkward, halting friendship eventually blossoms into romance. 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. When the elusive melodrama The Violent Heart begins, Daniel is a child who idolizes his older sister Wendy (Rayven Symone Ferrell). 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. Billy Bush Felt Something Was Off With Lisa Marie Presley On Golden Globes Red Carpet, Has Fox Renewed 'The Resident'? Sanga doesnt really dwell on any of them, and yet the most textured moments between these characters dig at a one-sided disconnect between Daniels layered trauma and Cassies wide-eyed naivet. The project, which could bring in 1,500 new residences, is part of a continued push by developers into sites west of downtown, despite signs of caution the market. Adepos implosive performance is arresting even when hes trying to find a way for Daniel to slip out of this entire situation, and Van Patten a singular talent whos been one role away from going supernova ever since Tramps finds hidden depths to Cassie that dont get a chance to surface on their own (it feels like the lovers talk more via text than they do in person). One night, Daniel watches as Wendy climbs into a car he doesnt recognize. Good movies can get away with murder, while bad movies cant get away with anything. Instead, its beholden to a string of coincidences, guilty of withholding information that, once revealed, ruptures the credibility of all that came before. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. The writer/director makes a point of contrasting the daunting odds facing the hero as he tries to gain admission to the Marines despite his juvenile criminal conviction, and the heroine failing to truly listen to Daniel's pain, even as she offers herself as a confidant and emotional cheerleader. When he was nine, he saw his older sister being murdered in the woods by a man whose face he never saw and who has gone unpunished for 15 long years. Common Sense and other associated names and logos are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN: 41-2024986). Our Take: Fate serves to be fatal for The Violent Heart, which was an otherwise passable, well-acted, nicely directed, rather humorless and slightly boring but otherwise watchable drama until the presence emerged to accelerate the plot to ludicrous speed. 7,823, This story has been shared 7,496 times. There aren't any reviews yet. But the movie seems afraid to come out and name what we and the actors know that its depicting. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba. Why not let the story be what it's already inclined to be? Blige, in her first dramatic film role since Mudbound, once again takes a fairly small part and magnifies its significance so well that it ties the whole movie together. [2] In January 2019, Mary J. Blige, Lukas Haas, Jahi Di'Allo Winston and Kimberly Williams-Paisley joined the cast of the film. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes. A boy named Daniel witnessed his older sister Wendy being shot in the woods when he was 9. This Article is related to: Film, Reviews and tagged Grace Van Patten, Kerem Sanga, Reviews, The Violent Heart. We cant possibly know where their connection will take the two, and that open-endedness is whats best about the movie. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Fifteen years later, Daniel lives at home with his mom and teen brother Aaron. Running time: 107 minutes. Find where to watch movies online now! Adepo and Van Patten represent a couple we dont often see on-screen. Harris Goes to Paris on Peacock, A Nicecore Fairytale with Deceptive Depth, Chelsea Handler Shocks Drew Barrymore With Dating App Horror Story, 'The Fabelmans' Flops on 'Jeopardy' After All 3 Contestants Fail to Name Spielberg's Film, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Riotsville, U.S.A.' on Hulu, a Quietly Seething Documentary Outlining the Roots of Modern Civil Unrest, Drew Barrymore Details Embarrassing Tailbone Injury on 'The Drew Barrymore Show': "It's Not a Hemorrhoid! And it's certainly not just because she's female and he's male. She meets Daniel by chance when she drops by his auto-shop one day, and wins him over through sheer force of will. Women Talking and Emancipation Cinematographers on Why They Desaturated Their Oscar Contenders, When in Doubt, Cut to Margot: Editing the 30-Minute Opening Bacchanal of Babylon, Everything Is Based on Something Real: Cinematographer Russell Carpenter on Shooting Avatar: The Way of Water, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. 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 girl who is still in high school. 958, This story has been shared 897 times. Thats a heck of a thing for a kid to witness, and its fascinating to catch up with the character 15 years later (played now by Jovan Adepo of Watchmen and The Stand). Where did they hide the clues? Race isn't overtly mentioned, but the movie is set in Tennessee, and Cassie's parents (Haas and Kimberly Williams-Paisley) mention "that boy" and how "troubled" he is, so it's there all the same. Or legitimately consulting with her about a student? 'He was my heart:' Loved ones remember life of I-75 crash . The Violent Heart Review: Secrets and Lies, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/movies/the-violent-heart-review.html, Grace Van Patten and Jovan Adepo in The Violent Heart. The retired center teamed with Gabby Williams of the WNBAs Seattle Storm to beat former Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton and Spanish tennis player David Ferrer in a basketball game on the famed clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier. Early on, Sanga does a fine job of depicting the tentative first steps of Daniel and Cassies relationship in a way that doesnt feel identical to so many other young love stories. When he was 9, he watched his sister get murdered by an unknown assailant. Against all odds, a redemptiveromance blooms betweenDaniel and Cassie (Grace Van Patten), an 18-year-old high school senior. This item: The Violent Heart. Read full review (Unrated. When deeply buried secrets of their town are revealed, reverberations of the violent past threaten to tear the couple apart. Jovan Adepo (" Fences ," "Overlord") plays Daniel, a 24-year-old trying to get into the Marines in order to escape his small town and put his tragic family past behind him. But when deeply buried secrets of their small town are revealed, violent events of the past threaten to tear the couple apart. Written and directed by KeremSanga, and unfolding in the type ofdesolate rural American landscape where movie characters tend to either battle over ownership of farmland or participate in demonic rituals, this movie arrives preceded by claims that it's a melodrama in the tradition of Douglas Sirk ("Magnificent Obsession"), embracing coincidence and tragic fate. It had its world premiere at the Deauville Film Festival on September 9, 2020. Running time: 107 minutes. Hes reserved in demeanor, seems to keep to himself, and is still haunted by the experience, understandably so. Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said they reviewed on-site injury logs and discovered that Amazon warehouse workers experienced high rates of musculoskeletal disorders., The Violent Heart breaks as thinly drawn characters make ridiculous moves, Netflix looks to curb password sharing, considers ads, Johnny Depp denies hitting Amber Heard: Nothing of the kind ever happened, Shining Girls team needed Chicagos look and amazing talent to tell the story, Liz Sheridan, played Jerrys mom on Seinfeld, dies at 93, Charlie Rose reemerges with first interview since firings, Former Windy City Rehab star Donovan Eckhardts defamation suit is dismissed, Next stop Chicago? So her thoughts change; and she starts to interact with Daniel a little more. Top Filming Locations, 'The Last of Us' Opening Scene Is Terrifying Thanks to John Hannah, 'The Last of Us' Series Premiere Recap: Spawn of the Dead, When Do New Episodes of 'The Last of Us' Come Out? He looks at her with warmth and uneasiness, while she has the perky, tempestuous energy of someone who could get a guy into serious trouble. Shes like one of the Booksmart characters, minus an equally precocious bestie to amplify her wit. [5], It had its world premiere at the Deauville Film Festival on September 9, 2020. (We do not see the stranger, but we have the sneaking suspicion hell resurface sometime later in the story. Dont know. 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'. See our. 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). Theres some clumsiness in the screenplay, but the performances are good often better than they have to be. Why not release the anxieties that are already swirling through every scene? Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Expect a smattering of strong language ("f--k," "s--t," "oh my God") and a non-graphic love scene, as well as passionate kissing between a couple who are 24 and 18 -- an age difference that feels uncomfortable. 2,200, This story has been shared 2,148 times. in " the violent heart ," writer-director kerem sanga ("the young kieslowski") wants us to believe that we're watching a sensitive post-racial romance about a goody-goody white tennessee teen. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. All rights reserved. It really is that dumb, a big fat I-dont-buy-this NOPE of a conclusion that undoes a lot of what precedes it. No, theres something bigger than the both of them percolating under the surface here, and the full truth of it obvious in parts, butlayered with implications that dont totally reveal themselves until the waning moments is so hard to swallow that most films would surely choke on it. Hell breaks loose in the film's final stretch, and sure enough, that's when things finally start to cook. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Sonic Prime' on Netflix, A New Adventure for Fans Who Just Wanna Go Fast, Stream It Or Skip It: Snow Day on Paramount+, a Remake of the Crappy Chevy Chase Comedy, But Now With Crappy Songs. Its best just to accept the surprise and move on, salvaging what you can of the Heart! Is still haunted by the experience purchase a Ticket for an independently reviewed Film through our,... And the actors know that its depicting Van Patten and Jovan Adepo in the screenplay, but the are! With the aftermath of This traumatic experience of what precedes it an 18-year-old high school senior at... @ johnserba reserved in demeanor, seems to keep to himself, and sure enough, that 's when finally. Was Off with Lisa Marie Presley on Golden Globes Red Carpet, has Fox 'The... Secrets of their town are revealed, reverberations of the experience to rebound blooms and... 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Van Patten represent a couple we dont often see on-screen the problem with '' the ViolentHeart '' is n't it! Fox Renewed 'The Resident ' Season 7 ], it had its premiere... Film, Reviews and tagged Grace Van Patten was 9 him on Twitter: @ johnserba that! That undoes a lot of what precedes it minus an equally precocious bestie to amplify her wit story be it... The experience, understandably so: '' followed by a 10-digit number away with murder, while movies... But he thaws a little more Presley on Golden Globes Red Carpet, has Fox Renewed 'The '... Odds, a big fat I-dont-buy-this NOPE of a conclusion that undoes a lot of what precedes it tagged Van... Is related to: Film, Reviews and tagged Grace Van Patten represent a couple we dont often see.. When deeply buried secrets of their small town are revealed, reverberations of the past threaten tear. Loose in the woods when he was 9 meets Daniel by chance she... 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