Hesher

Unlike many films that hope to be called black comedy, it does not skimp on either the black or the comedy.

As played by the spectacular Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hesher is the id run rampant.

Too dark for a very broad audience, it will flummox some viewers drawn by its cast but will strike others with its more-than-prickly approach and standoffish humor.

Writer-director Spencer Susser and cowriter David Michod (Animal Kingdom) generate fresh hells at a surreally rapid clip but cop out with an incongruously sentimental ending.

Still, Hesher finds uncommon sympathy for people at loose ends, and although Hesher himself is sentimentalized and backhandedly inspiring, he never softens into an actual role model.

Hesher is about as awful as independent films get, a mix of ugliness and unearned sentiment, with a flat story, repellent and pathetic characters and dialogue that consists of lots of stammering and cursing.

You see, this character, who is given no back story, is Life with a capital L. He is the Forneys' guardian angel who rouses them out of their funk. Given the movie's U-turn into allegory, maybe he's supposed to be a punk Jesus. Not even Mr. Gordon-Levitt's unremittingly savage performance can begin to salvage such hokum.

Gordon-Levitt was born to play this role. Hesher is a masterpiece of dysfunction and redemption through fire, drugs, **** jokesand violence. It is a refreshing left turn from the touchy-feely everything is going to work out motif that seems to be gagging the indie film market.

I'm giving this a 10 because it actually deserves a 9.5. ROUND UP! his movie pulls you in. it's excellent. you start off with an ambiguous situation within which dwight(sorry i don't know his name, it's sounds like rain wilson) and that kid just deal with life after tragedy. then arrives hesher. he eventually begins to understands the family. any more would ruin it. see this film. it's really good. also, it's really funny. if you see the point of the movie, which isn't too abstract or difficult, you should love it. cheers!

Really liked Joseph Gordon Levitt's role in this movie. I also enjoyed how ridiculous it was. I didn't like how there were alot of extra bits in the movie that weren't needed. Sort of wish the main character hadn't been so young in this movie because he almost seemed so young that he would be looked at as not understanding anything.

This movie has the makings of a cult classic, but it never really comes together, and it's just flat out bleak, through and through. You certainly never feel like you can root for Hesher (the character played by JGL). But the titles, the sountrack, a few of the set pieces (seeing Hesher climb up the telephone pole to turn on the porno channels for the house he's squatting in; watching him light a diving board on fire so he can act our Metallica's "Jump in the Fire", etc.) are interesting. It seems like they're setting up the film so Hesher will become an unlikely champion for the young kid who is the butt of a bully's ire, but he does nothing but add to the kid's nightmare. Even Natale Portman's character, who initially defends the kid, lets him down. I suppose if you feel a little sadistic, you'll have fun with this one, but it's nothing like The Stoned Age or other "fun" movies it's reminiscent of.

A film that seemed to contain a morale deep within. But after all the chaotic events that unfold in the end, it seemed unclear as to who and why the film was made for.