-Written by Kyle Bain.
Travis (Nick Mathews) is lured into a peculiar situation in which a figure from his past has come back to haunt him. Heather (Pooya Mohseni) isn’t what she seems, and when the truth is revealed Travis’ life will never again be the same.
Heather has some issues, there’s no doubt about that–but I’m happy to report that the film’s shortcomings are most certainly outshined by its successes. However, it’s impossible to simply ignore the film’s struggles, and that’s where we have to start.
The cast of Heather is small, really with only a handful of individuals ever seen on screen throughout–but even with the cast being so small, there are characters that just don’t belong. Sean Young (Caitlyn) is a name that I haven’t heard in some time, and she plays an incredibly small role in Heather, a role that is ultimately irrelevant in the grand scheme of the film. She’s just a name that people will recognize, but she doesn’t bring anything to the film. Checking a box just to check a box is frustrating, and while this feels insignificant, it’s an aspect of filmmaking that bothers me.
The acting in this film, beyond its leads–Mathews and Mohseni–fell flat for me. I felt that their performances lacked emotion, that their dialogue was monotone and uninspired, and some of the intense moments strewn throughout the film ended up failing as a result. Heather, fortunately, relies almost entirely on Mohseni and Mathews–but I’ll get to that later.
Then, there was one instance of ineffective lighting that stood out to me, where the lighting felt incredibly unnatural, stealing from an intensity that Writer-Director Anthony Repinski wanted to establish early on. It was early on in Heather, maybe only thirty seconds or so into the film–and it’s one of the first things that caught my eye. At this point, I was certain that Heather was destined to disappoint me, and while there are other inorganic moments, I do feel, again, that there’s far more good than bad throughout this film.
Now, onto the good. There’s that aforementioned intensity present throughout the majority of Heather that is often brought to life through Repinski’s use of darkness. It’s interesting that the negative that immediately caught my eye so quickly turned to a positive, that the use of lighting became the thing that worked so well; that helped to develop the film and move it in a brilliant direction. Nearly the entirety of Heather is engulfed in darkness, enveloping the two leads in something of a dark prison. They are each tormented by something, and the heaviness of the often absent light strengthens that notion through every single scene that they share.
Heather is a relatively short film, clocking in at just over an hour–and the majority of the film takes place in a dungeon-like atmosphere with Travis and Heather present alongside one another. In their initial on-screen encounter I can remember thinking to myself how long that scene was–but also being incredibly impressed that it didn’t feel tedious, that it didn’t overstay its welcome, and that it ultimately felt real, honest, and immersive. Heather peaks in the early going, but it effectively sets up the remainder of the film, doesn’t overshadow it, and gives viewers a reason, early, to remain focused.
As previously mentioned, Mohseni and Mathews are the cornerstones of Heather as nearly every scene features at least one of them–often prominently. The chemistry between the two actors is superb, and while I’m not sure that individually they possess the ability to convey emotion at a high level, that aforementioned chemistry allows them to thrive throughout–and the film along with them.
Heather tells a compelling story with a wild twist, one that I didn’t anticipate–but one that ultimately doesn’t change the trajectory of the film, but simply provides a bit of insight into the why of the film–which remains a mystery throughout the majority of the story. Heather has a relatively interesting conclusion, but I feel that it ultimately ends on a note lesser than what most of the film offers. There are some stunning uses of darkness throughout the course of the film, and by way of the chemistry between Mathews and Mohseni, Heather lands on its feet–ultimately compelling most of the way.
Written & Directed by Repinski.
Starring Pooya Mohseni, Nick Mathews, Colin Bates, Sean Young, Gary Swanson, etc.
7.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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