Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- nostalgic
- warm
- nostalgic movie night
- 1980s film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film intermittently funny and perceptive, with strong period and character detail but an inconsistent tone.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Michael and his classmates mature while navigating discipline, confession, and repression at St. Basil's Catholic Boys School.
The film emphasizes circa-1965 Brooklyn, Catholic rituals, boys' school discipline, and changing attitudes toward sexuality.
Pranks, misfit camaraderie, romantic discovery, and reflective memories coexist throughout Michael's school experience.
Michael befriends Rooney, Caesar, and other classmates as they collectively resist repressive faculty and navigate adolescence.
Films like Heaven Help Us, and why
Class
coming-of-age teen drama balancing adolescent friendship, romance, irreverent humor, and emotional nostalgia
Pretty in Pink
1980s adolescent romance and outsider friendship shaped by witty school-centered social pressures
The Last Picture Show
warm but unruly school coming-of-age story combining rebellious humor, authority conflict, and youthful camaraderie
The Breakfast Club
nostalgic ensemble portrait of adolescent misfits confronting friendship, desire, and restrictive adult institutions
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Dinner
- Release Date
- 1985-02-08
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (79)
Cast
- Donald Sutherland
- John Heard
- Andrew McCarthy
- Mary Stuart Masterson
- Kevin Dillon
- Malcolm Danare
- Jennifer Dundas
- Kate Reid
- Wallace Shawn
- Jay Patterson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Heaven Help Us about?
- A tenderly unruly Brooklyn school year finds a new student bonding with misfits while testing the limits of Catholic authority, friendship, and first love.
- What is Heaven Help Us like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Heaven Help Us as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Heaven Help Us violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Heaven Help Us as mild.
- What did critics think of Heaven Help Us?
- Critics broadly found the film intermittently funny and perceptive, with strong period and character detail but an inconsistent tone.
- Which films are like Heaven Help Us?
- Films with a similar feel include Class, Pretty in Pink, The Last Picture Show, and The Breakfast Club.
- How long is Heaven Help Us?
- Heaven Help Us runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Heaven Help Us?
- In United States, Heaven Help Us streams on Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
