Overview
A haunting exploration of love and addiction set against the gritty backdrop of New York City.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- harrowing
- intimate
- abrasive
- serious film night
- arthouse viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a grueling, powerfully observed depiction of addiction anchored by Arielle Holmes's captivating performance and the Safdie brothers' textured direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lingering close-ups and up-the-street long shots follow Harley's homelessness and addiction without romanticizing either.
Harley's dependence on Ilya is intertwined with her heroin addiction, making love and self-destruction difficult to separate.
The film prominently uses Isao Tomita's electronic Debussy arrangements alongside Tangerine Dream, hardstyle, and black metal.
Harley's decisions are driven by the immediate need for heroin, repeatedly narrowing her choices and relationships.
Films like Heaven Knows What, and why
The Panic in Needle Park
shared harrowing realism, heroin addiction, street-level intimacy, and doomed romance
Good Time
shared raw urban marginality, drug dependence, abrasive naturalism, and psychological intensity
Christiane F.
shared uncompromising addiction drama, handheld immediacy, and devastating emotional pressure
Requiem for a Dream
shared intimate social realism, damaged characters, and bleak yet compassionate urban portraiture
Movie Details
- Directors
- Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
- Release Date
- 2015-05-29
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (204)
Cast
- Arielle Holmes
- Caleb Landry Jones
- Eléonore Hendricks
- Buddy Duress
- Necro
- Isaac Adams
- Diana Singh
- Benjamin Hampton
- Manny Aguila
- Yuri Pleskun
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- BFI Player Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Heaven Knows What about?
- A raw New York street drama follows a homeless young woman whose consuming love and heroin dependence pull her toward an impossible act of loyalty.
- What is Heaven Knows What like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Heaven Knows What as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Heaven Knows What violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Heaven Knows What as moderate.
- What did critics think of Heaven Knows What?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a grueling, powerfully observed depiction of addiction anchored by Arielle Holmes's captivating performance and the Safdie brothers' textured direction.
- Which films are like Heaven Knows What?
- Films with a similar feel include The Panic in Needle Park, Good Time, Christiane F., and Requiem for a Dream.
- How long is Heaven Knows What?
- Heaven Knows What runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Heaven Knows What?
- In United States, Heaven Knows What streams on BFI Player Amazon Channel.
