Hesher Thoughts

The Hesher screening was packed out yesterday, with many complaining how they weren’t able to get in. Thankfully there is another screening today. As for the first impressions, they’re a bit all over the place so far.

Sharon Waxman thought it was uneven but noted that…

You just desperately hope for some sort of plot and more screen time for Natalie Portman, a check-out lady whose role is also not very clear but who is lovely to look at no matter how bad the movie is.

The NY Post gave it close to a rave…

Spencer Susser has put himself on the map with his superb script and tight direction. “Hesher” is going to attract a lot of entirely justified attention.



Variety’s review is a mixed one…

Young auds who reflexively find this sort of flagrant transgressiveness amusing will no doubt take the picture to heart. But the problem with the script by Susser and David Michod, working from a story by Brian Charles Frank, is that Hesher’s uncouth behavior is so aggressively pushed to single-minded, crudely exploitative effect.

While Indiewire thinks the film was disjointed and messy but that Joey’s performance was…
>certainly crowd pleasing. The audience was often in hysterics over his character’s well-executed antics and he received a very warm round of applause as he took the stage for the post-screening Q&A.

On the twitterverse, things were a bit more positive. A lot of people seem genuinely thrilled by what they saw.

Great start the film can’t sustain — it goes from vaguely VISITOR Q to vaguely MARY POPPINS. Gordon-Levitt hilarious, though.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt keeps “Hesher” compulsively watchable, even when it’s otherwise awful

Rainn Wilson wisely retreats to Six Feet Under-era character actor mode & another bold choice for Natalie Portman

Has that quirky hipster cred but with a surprisingly dark edge. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is amazing again

Really loved Josh Radnor’s happythankyoumoreplease… and thought Hesher was a bit much, but still really funny.

Hesher floored me. My favorite script so far. Funny, depressing, unexpected and flat out odd. Great direction + acting …

HESHER is deeply deeply weird really funny possibly totally misguided. Title guy seems like a MR. SHOW character.

HESHER was pretty good. but somehow i still felt disappointed, maybe it was inconsistent where i thought it should’ve been…

“Hesher”. Napoleon Dynamite for the over 18 set. Very original.

just saw @rainnwilson ‘s film Hesher at #sundance Easily one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. Hits every note perfectly & w/ a hammer.

Just saw HESHER. Strange and amazing. I loved every minute of it.

HESHER was fucking fantastic

Hesher is an incredible movie, I feel like I just had my brain thrown in a blender, splattered with hot sauce and nails, crushed then hugged

I’ve been 3 for 3 on good movies but HESHER is fucking phenomenal.

Hesher: More of that Self-Indulgent Sundance Curse

brilliant movie – great acting, great directing – suberb!

Dark, funny, & sad. Raw language! Joseph Gordon-Levitt was wickedly hysterical

Hesher is an interesting film that almost is good. All the performances are great, Just an almost good but not film

Saw Hesher at Sundance. Amazing.Made me cringe, laugh & even look away from the screen. Different than any character Joe has played before.

My party is still trying to decide whether we liked it or not. Definitely enjoyable parts. Devin was fantastic.

Discussing the movie “Hesher” at Sundance Film Fest. It’s over-the-top coarse but creative.

Hesher is heavy, the type of movie that sits w/u4days.Devin Brochu is amazing, killed me actually, could tear uprt now thinking of his perf