PLOT: A 19-year-old criminal, Tommy, is kidnapped and forced into a rehabilitation process by a dysfunctional couple, Chris and Kathryn, who try to make him a “good boy.” Tommy must find a way to escape.
REVIEW: I’ll always love a movie that isn’t quite what it seems on the surface. Even when you see the poster for Heel, with a family looking picturesque only to notice the chain and dog collar on one of them, and you know you’re in for something different. And with two powerhouse actors at the forefront, it’s hard not to have high expectations. The story follows Tommy, a public nuisance who spends most of his nights partying and being a hooligan. If left unchecked, he’s going to be yet another criminal who makes society worse. He’s kidnapped by a mysterious family and chained up, and they try to teach him how to behave and atone for his past behavior.
Stephen Graham (who was in last year’s fantastic one-take TV show Adolescence) is extremely layered as Chris. There’s something off about him, and it’s all bubbling beneath the surface. Yet there’s still a kindness there, where it feels like he’s genuinely doing this with the best of intentions. When Tommy needs punishment, it’s almost a punishment to Chris as well. I loved his dynamic with Andrea Riseborough’s Kathryn, who plays his voice. She’s very subdued, having lost her son, and is a bit shut off from the world. But she clearly agrees with her husband’s methods and is the ying to his yang.
I can’t remember the last time I disliked a character as much as Anson Boon’s Tommy. He’s such a little shit and the way he treats people is pure selfishness. He thinks of only himself and it works so perfectly for this story. If they didn’t go as far with these qualities, the rehabilitation would have felt out of place or harsh. But this is what Tommy deserves and it really allows for a more nuanced story to unfold. Boon does a tremendous job and has you feeling for him by the end. And it’s extremely impressive what he’s able to do while chained up for most of the film.
There are moments of beauty amongst the dark chaos, and director Jan Komasa refuses to color things black and white. There’s a lot of morality that stays in a uniquely gray area, and it makes everything so much more interesting. It really challenges you as, especially in the first act, everyone seems like an antagonist and seems to fit in a box, one way or another. But perceptions can change as the human element is put more at the forefront and decides to avoid putting things in a binary way.
Even the title, Heel (originally titled Good Boy but changed due to the dog movie from last year) has multiple meanings. You can take it in the professional wrestling way of the name for the antagonist, of which the film has many. Or you can think of it in terms of the command used in dog obedience, where the dog is taught to walk on or off a lead. Like the story itself, it’s really in the eye of the beholder as to which carries the most importance.
Heel does the impossible and actually had me rooting for the kidnappers. As disturbed as they were as human beings, they had the right motivations. Tommy is a misguided and terrible person who was never going to change on his own. Sure, the methods are pretty harsh but he’s far enough gone that it feels like a suitable option. And as dark as the concept is, this is a human story that has deep familial roots. I won’t deny that it’s not dark, but it’s shockingly more heartfelt.
Heel releases to theaters on March 6th, 2026.
