Heli must try and protect his young family when his 12-year-old sister inadvertently involves them in the brutal drug world. He must battle against the drug cartel that have been angered as well as the corrupt police force.
The better bits of this mixed bag are pretty good; and if the story it tells about a contemporary Mexico mired in corruption and violence is a familiar one, it’s still one of undeniable pertinence.
An uncompromising, brutal tale from the front line of Mexico’s drug war.
Grim and gritty. Warning: contains punishing scenes of testicle burning.
This is an utterly brutal but very stylised drama.
Every well-intentioned action has consequences in a harrowing yet hopeful journey into hell that isn’t always easy to watch.
It's forceful stuff, but the way the story drifts and dissipates in the latter stages is disappointing.
A shallow bit of sensationalism meant to endear us more to the director than to the issues at hand.
While I remain uneasy about individual elements that seem more designed to startle than to reveal, it is the fortitude of the core characters that lingers in the mind.
The Heli director on why his film was too brutal--and honest--for Cannes
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Friday May 23, 2014, until Thursday May 29, 2014. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee from Friday May 30, 2014, until Thursday June 5, 2014. More info: www.dca.org.uk
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday June 6, 2014, until Thursday June 12, 2014. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
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