Hesher
A grieving teenager's fixation on his mother's wrecked car collides with the disruptive arrival of a foul-mouthed squatter who unsettles his broken family.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- abrasive
- darkly comic
- bleak
- reflective movie night
- indie film evening
What critics said
Critics found a darkly funny, unsentimental grief drama elevated by strong performances, while its loose, unfocused script divided opinion.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hesher squats with T.J.'s family, forcing T.J., Paul, and Madeleine to confront grief and emotional withdrawal.
Hesher's foul-mouthed conduct and the family's loss create a deliberately abrasive mixture of humor and mourning.
T.J.'s determination to recover his mother's salvaged car turns an everyday object into a focus for his bereavement.
T.J. gradually finds support through Hesher, Nicole, his grandmother, and his father's slow emergence from withdrawal.
Films like Hesher, and why
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Shares a grief-stricken adolescent protagonist, abrasive dark humor, dysfunctional family dynamics, and an unconventional older male influence.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Combines outsider comedy, emotional damage, family dysfunction, and a difficult but affecting path toward connection.
World's Greatest Dad
Features alienated young people, bleakly comic behavior, abrasive characters, and unexpected emotional tenderness.
Thumbsucker
Shares a troubled adolescent perspective, parental collapse, grief, and an unsentimental blend of pain and humor.
Movie Details
- Director
- Spencer Susser
- Release Date
- 2010-01-22
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (773)
Cast
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Natalie Portman
- Devin Brochu
- Rainn Wilson
- Piper Laurie
- John Carroll Lynch
- Helen Slayton-Hughes
- Monica Staggs
- Frank Collison
- Paul Bates
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, 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 Hesher about?
- A grieving teenager's fixation on his mother's wrecked car collides with the disruptive arrival of a foul-mouthed squatter who unsettles his broken family.
- What is Hesher like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hesher as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hesher violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Hesher as mild.
- What did critics think of Hesher?
- Critics found a darkly funny, unsentimental grief drama elevated by strong performances, while its loose, unfocused script divided opinion.
- Which films are like Hesher?
- Films with a similar feel include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Royal Tenenbaums, World's Greatest Dad, and Thumbsucker.
- How long is Hesher?
- Hesher runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hesher?
- In United States, Hesher streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
