The Violent Heart
Gravitas Ventures | Release Date: February 19, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
50
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
2
Mixed:
7
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichFeb 18, 2021
If this one still bites off more than it can chew, its ambition nevertheless reaffirms Sanga as a skilled and emotionally sensitive filmmaker who’s attuned to the low-frequency wavelengths that tend to get flattened out by stories with this kind of sweep. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 18, 2021
The final act of a thriller is where the payoff lies. We’ve invested in the characters and relationships. We fear for them, and as we do, the suspense should build to the point where it weighs on you. The Violent Heart has that weight about it right from the start. And if the climax seems wanting, perhaps one twist too many, it still doesn’t spoil the mystery we see unfold and the solutions we have time to consider over its 100 or so minutes. Read full review
60
The New York TimesTeo BugbeeFeb 18, 2021
Some of these central relationships are inappropriate, even dangerous, but the subtlety of Sanga’s filmmaking allows for big twists to come as a genuine surprise. It makes for a successful manipulation of his audience’s expectations, even if the overall effect is a movie that feels slightly detached. Read full review
58
Original-CinThom ErnstApr 15, 2021
The Violent Heart lies somewhere between a chasm that divides soft-peddled melodrama and Young Adult fiction. It's unlikely director/writer Kerem Sanga intended the story to be categorized as either melodramatic or Young Adult. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperFeb 26, 2021
Writer-director Kerem Sanga has a knack for delivering arresting, noir-like visuals, especially from medium- and long-shot distance, and the talented cast gamely tries to sell the material, but The Violent Heart is so muddled there are times we have to remind ourselves of the connection between certain characters, and the histrionics so over the top we’re hoping everyone will just take a deep breath and CALM THE HECK DOWN. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleFeb 25, 2021
Going into The Violent Heart, you must understand that the ending is insanely ridiculous. This is not to say that it’s not entertaining — in a way, it’s even more entertaining for being insanely ridiculous. But by the end, you will in no way be able to regard The Violent Heart as anything resembling a serious movie. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzFeb 19, 2021
A promising but self-thwarting movie like this is more depressing than an outright bad or dumb film. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterCaryn JamesFeb 18, 2021
There is plenty to admire technically in his drama . . . But its substance is a mashup of ill-fitting parts, indebted to both Romeo and Juliet and Douglas Sirk. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayFeb 18, 2021
There’s a lot to like in The Violent Heart, with Adepo at the top of the list. But Sanga errs by giving his movie the deterministic structure of a potboiler and the muted tone of a slice-of-life indie drama. Read full review
20
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerFeb 19, 2021
Anodyne and asinine in equal measures, The Violent Heart is just brainless. Read full review
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