HEEL Review: Jan Komasa’s Dark Psychological Thriller Examines Control and Consequence

Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Anson Boon star in Jan Komasa’s unsettling psychological drama HEEL.

If you ever needed a reminder that the most terrifying monsters rarely wear masks, look no further than HEEL, directed by Jan Komasa.

Starring Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Anson Boon, HEEL is a dark psychological thriller that dissects control, trauma and the dangerous illusion of moral superiority. The film also features a strong supporting turn from Kit Rakusen.

Boon plays Tommy, a reckless, volatile young man whose life revolves around social media humiliation, manipulation and unchecked ego. He’s the type of youth Britain often labels simply as “one of the youths” — disruptive, impulsive, headline-ready. But Komasa refuses to flatten him into stereotype.

After a particularly vile episode, Tommy is abducted by Chris (Graham) and Catherine (Riseborough), a couple who have decided that the system has failed him — and that they are better equipped to rehabilitate him themselves. What unfolds inside their home is less a kidnapping thriller and more a controlled psychological experiment. Punishment is framed as love. Confinement is reframed as opportunity. And discipline becomes domination.

Graham delivers the kind of restrained intensity that has defined his career for decades, while Riseborough injects Catherine with quiet instability and emotional fracture. There’s something perpetually off-balance about her presence — a sense that grief and control have merged into something volatile.

The film carefully expands Tommy’s “freedom” in increments. As trust is granted, his physical access within the house grows. It’s a fascinating dynamic — watching captors construct a controlled ecosystem and convincing themselves it’s therapy rather than tyranny. The tension doesn’t rely on jump scares. It builds through moral discomfort.

What HEEL ultimately interrogates is humanity’s obsession with control. We correct. We conquer. We justify. Whether it’s parenting, institutions, or society at large, the urge to reshape others in our image often overrides empathy. And when the film reveals more about Tommy’s home life, it reframes the narrative entirely. His behavior doesn’t become excusable — but it becomes understandable. Damaged systems create damaged kids.

There are moments where the logistics of certain events stretch believability, and a few narrative turns require suspension of disbelief. But those cracks don’t derail the thematic weight of the film. Komasa is far more interested in the psychology of power than in procedural realism.

In today’s climate — where social media outrage, fractured parenting, and generational blame cycles dominate headlines — HEEL feels timely without being preachy. It asks difficult questions: Where does accountability begin? Who bears responsibility for shaping young minds? And can control ever truly heal trauma?

Horror Movies Uncut gives HEEL a 3.5 out of 5. It’s a dark, thought-provoking psychological thriller that indicts both reckless youth and morally self-righteous adults. It doesn’t offer comfort. It offers reflection.

And sometimes, that’s far more unsettling.