Philip Ridley? Whats he be doing since the excellent Krays (1990)? On the basis is this hes been sitting in his east end Flat, terrified of hoodies, convincing himself the world is going to hell in a handcart and making a pact with the devil.
Make no mistake, this is one of the strangest, darkest and weirdest films of the year, yet it also contains moments of genuinely touching beauty and sensitivity. Its a huge stretch, yes, and it takes liberties, but if you give it some slack it has some reward.
Sturgess plays Jamie, a sensitive, highly fragile boy who lives with his mum in a tower block and works in his brothers photography studio with his boorish cousin. Jamie acts like hes disabled due to a disfiguring birthmark on his face, neck and arm, and despite a loving mother he cannot look people in the eye. Worse, the rotting estate he lives on think Fish Tank is, he is convinced, full of not merely hoodies, but actual demons, with green skin and shark teeth.
His friendly neighbour AJ, a nice turn from Noel Clarke, takes him out to meet girls, but when AJs arm turns up at a murder scene Jamie is convinced the world has gone evil. Nothing for it then but to make a pact with the devil, who conveniently lives in a council flat with a pretty seven year old Indian girl. Jamie makes a Faustian pact, he will kill street people in return for the removal of his birthmark which, he believes, will help him find the woman of his dreams.
Sure enough, the moment his birthmark disappears he gets together with one of the studios models, Tia (Poesy), who falls for him, but he has to stick to his side of the bargain with bloody results.
Clearly on one level this is a study of loneliness, alienation and the effect of living in bleak, colourless Shoreditch, which could quite easily be hell, on the soul. The problem is the film cant make its mind up whether to be a straightforward Faustian horror film or something deeper. As the former it fails the demons shriek and run around in black hoodie tops for all they are worth, but the film is never scary, and in places its just plain weird. Stick with it though and Jamies plight does touch the senses, his terrible view of the world is genuinely affecting, as is his desire to be loved. A flashback to him as a boy in Victoria Park with his dad (Timothy Spall, wonderful) is genuinely moving, as dad explains the boy will visit some dark places in his life because of his disfigured face.
His relationship with Tia is touching, but the film constantly lurches towards the fantastic and gothic side of its nature with diminishing returns. The more blood is spilled and the more Clive Barker it gets, the less effecting and touching it is, and Ridleys message becomes ever more muffled. By the time Eddie Marsans weapons man turns up its impossible to take any of it seriously.
Still, the film does teach something Satan lives in a flat in a tower block in Shoreditch, has a tiny Indian daughter and calls his victims old chap, which is useful information. Ultimately its a hugely affecting performance by Sturgess as the fragile Jamie, which goes to waste, lost in a sea of cheap horror effects and Taxi Driver-esque montages. It could have been so much more.
NOTE: Heartless will be available in UK cinemas on Friday 21st May and on DVD, Blu-ray and Download-to-Own on Monday 24th May.
Overall verdict: Over-wrought silly horror take which should have had the courage of its convictions, but with a stunning central performance.
Reviewer: Mike Martin