Hesher

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Hesher

R

2011

1h 40m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

55%

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77 Reviews

61%

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10,000+ Ratings

An anarchist (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) shakes things up after moving -- uninvited -- into the garage of a troubled youth (Devin Brochu) and the kid's father (Rainn Wilson).

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Critics Consensus

It has a dark sense of humor and a refreshing lack of sentimentality, but like its title character, Hesher isn't really interested in going anywhere.

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Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

May 13, 2011

1.1/2

Some indie films seem to exist as exercises in strangeness, just to see how far they can go-and how long audiences will watch before screaming and running up the aisles. I stuck with Hesher till...

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Tom Long

Detroit News

May 13, 2011

B

Happily, Hesher never lays things out too clearly. Just as you never know where he came from, it's hard to grasp where he's going, or even what he's doing in the moment. But you know he fits somewhere. And that's satisfaction enough.

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Brian Tallerico

HollywoodChicago.com

May 13, 2011

1/5

Like a knock-off of Chuck Palahniuk produced by people raised only on Sundance films, "Hesher" is a mess.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11, 2025

4/5

It's a risky move to make a movie with a protagonist as unlikable as Hesher does, yet that gamble paid off in this unconventional coming-of-age movie.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Jun 7, 2023

2.5/4

If only the film upheld the confronting emotions and entertaining recklessness so shocking early in the film with an appropriately downturned ending, the result might not feel so inharmoniously optimistic upon reflection.

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Jack Fleischer

Battleship Pretension

Mar 24, 2021

At the very least I would totally say it's worth a matinee admission. Go and see it, and tell me what it is that I just don't get.

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Tommy L.

@tommylane Apr 5, 2026

Some parts made me cringe. Other parts were heart warming. Hesher is a complicated character who weaved his way into a family’s home effortlessly. Very crass person who didn’t ask for things. He just took charge in a hippie sort of way. The acting was very good. I appreciated the last few scenes ultimately.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 19, 2025

Extremely offbeat, but interesting. It was funny seeing Gordon-Levitt be this kind of character. "Now you've got more channels"!!!!!

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Aldis H

@plever May 29, 2025

I've known since before I got the first hair on my pec*** that critics have things stuck up their as*** and don't appreciate madness. I've watched this three times. Sure, it's disjointed, it's got a completely stupid twist, nevertheless, I love it, mainly because of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

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Faiz D

@RT95588871 May 13, 2025

dafuq JGL? The only only good thing about this movie was the character of the boy's Grandmother.

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Kirk N

@RT93200817 Feb 1, 2025

This is a unique movie, have seen nothing else like it. Hesher is a magical character with a filthy mouth, personally I really enjoyed his inventive obscenities but probably best not to watch with the kids. For a movie about dealing with grief, it manages not to drag you down, but get your adrenaline pumping.

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mark g

@Mark_Alan_G. Jul 16, 2024

When you're an hour into the movie and realize you haven't enjoyed one second of it, you have to ask yourself, should I continue? I mean, shouldn't there be some payoff by now. I like indies, but have a point.

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Spencer Susser

Director

Natalie Portman

Nicole

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Hesher

Rainn Wilson

Paul Forney

Devin Brochu

T.J.

Piper Laurie

Madeleine Forney

Hesher: Official Clip - Angry Dinner

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Hesher: Official Clip - Fender Bender

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Hesher: Official Clip - Dirty and Wet

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Hesher: Official Clip - I'll Smash You in the Face

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Hesher: Official Clip - Stalking That Chick

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Hesher: Official Clip - You Think This Is Funny?

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Hesher: Official Clip - Car Burning

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Hesher: Official Clip - The Granny Killer

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Synopsis

An anarchist (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) shakes things up after moving -- uninvited -- into the garage of a troubled youth (Devin Brochu) and the kid's father (Rainn Wilson).

Director: Spencer Susser
Producer: Lucy Cooper, Matt Weaver, Scott Prisand, Spencer Susser, Natalie Portman, Johnny Lin, Win Sheridan
Screenwriter: Spencer Susser, David Michôd
Distributor: Wrekin Hill Ent.
Production Co: American Work, Inc., Last Pictures
Rating: R (Drug Content|Disturbing Violent Behavior|Some in Presence of a Child|Graphic Dialogue|Pervasive Language|Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 13, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 6, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $382.9K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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