After rewatching the Safdie Brothers’ excellent film Good Time on Netflix (this is now my go-to Netflix recommendation now that King Of Comedy is no longer on there), I realised I’d not seen any of their earlier movies. Some of their low budget dramas are hard to find, like Daddy Longlegs, but Heaven Knows What (2014) is on Kanopy, and is a good precursor to Good Time in that it has the same mix of documentary-styled realism and aggressive stylishness, and is also another gritty New York story. Based on the unpublished memoir of lead actor Arielle Holmes, who the Safdies met when she was homeless and a heroin addict, I knew the film was going to be heavy, and it was. Documenting the day to day struggle to find money (usually panhandling) to buy drugs and flophouse rent, Harley (played by Holmes) is in love with the abusive Ilya (Caleb Landry-Jones, one of the few professional actors mixed in with all the non-professionals) while also spending time with the talkative dealer Mike (Buddy Duress, also in Good Time). Moving between empathetic close ups and distant observation, the movie documents the struggle while investing in the triangular relationships, particularly through Holmes’ engaging performance, a source of quiet resolve amidst all the volatile noise. I thought the film overall was compelling if distressing (the opening sequence focuses on an upsetting act of self-harm), and infused with a sense of authenticity. Features original music by Paul Grimstad and Ariel Pink while also using the work of Isao Tomita.
VHS Tracking 