In some ways he is much like the shark in Jaws, a force of nature that cannot be contained, and should likely be avoided. Hesher can also be compared to the titular character of Mary Poppins or the visitor in Takashi Miike's Visitor Q. He is a character whose path crosses with those who need his influence at a critical time in their lives.
Hesher is a movie that will make you watch. You will want to see just what is going to happen next. Hesher is an unpredictable character and while the movie is not exactly his story, it is his presence that holds everything together and spurs the arcs of the Forney family. He is an unpredictable quantity, a quantity that cares about nothing and willfully destroys whatever he sees. Or does he? He may not really have a proper beginning or ending, but what is there in the middle is a sight to see.
While Hesher is the driving force, what makes the movie resonate like it does is the paths of the family. I am still at a loss as to how he does it, but the father and son are poked and prodded through their issues to a point of catharsis, thus allowing them to return to their lives and hopefully move forward rather than wallow in the tragic loss. This is not to belittle what has happened and not suggesting that they forget, rather they need to come to terms with their feelings and allow themselves to move on.
The film is director/co-writer Spencer Susser's first feature film and it is an interesting one to say the least. He is not afraid to take inspiration from the past, nor is he scared to allow the driving force of the piece by a vulgar, anti-social hooligan. It is a rather inspired choice and I look forward to see what he does next.
Audio/Video. The film is presented in a ratio of 2.4:1 and looks really good. It is certainly a low budget affair, but that doesn't stop this transfer from looking solid. There is a good level of detail and the daylight sequences (of which there are many) have nice color depth. The few night sequences get a little muddy, but still retain acceptable detail. Likewise, interiors support good detail but suffer a bit from a flat lighting style, although that is probably on purpose.
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