I just couldn't buy anything that was happening in this movie. Why did no one call the cops on Hesher? Why did Natalie Portman (playing at least an early 20s character) care that much about what a middle school kid thought of her? I am supposed to believe Portman isn't beautiful just because she has incredibly dorky glasses on and a ponytail? If it wasn't for the very good acting I would have hated it. As it stands, I thought it was a decent movie that some people are going to love.

Disappointingly sentimental, tries far too hard to build a dynamic between the characters that just would not exist in real life. JGL gives a good performance but the rest of the film isn't that interesting. I don't know where the messianic praise for him or this film is coming from.

joseph gordon-levitt

hesher is distasteful, inconsiderate, abrasive, and awesome in every was possible. he is quite possibly one of the best characters ever to exist. i defy you to watch this movie and afterward not say "i wish i was more like hesher."

Warning: this film content some truths that people don't want to see. And in an hardcore way.

Fantastic performance from Joseph Gordon Levitt - one of the most versatile actors working today. The rest of the cast is great too, and special mention must go to young Devin Brochu - one of a very small number of child actors who aren't annoying. Consistently interesting and sometimes hilarious.

"The guitar solos blasting from Joseph Gordon-Levitt's sullen, arson-prone wasteoid's van can't drown out the dominant bleat of indie-therapy whine." - Bill Weber

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was pretty good as a pissed off at the world kid. other all i thought it was kind of a weird movie. and I thought it was awesome how they played Metallica.

Hesher's dialouge was badass, hilarious, and strangely emotional at times. I can't make sense of his character, and I think that is exactly how it is supposed to be. The scene between Hesher and Grandmother with the medical cigarettes and the snake and mouse story was golden!

Ugh.

Before this had come out, one of my friends dubbed it "Metal Mary Poppins". Sure, there are some of the elements there (and it's a hilarious comparison), but I think that this film was Levitt just wanting to play a role that he thought was hilarious more than anything else. Wilson and the surprising Brochu, along with JGL's performance are definitely the highlights of the film, though it is a bit uneven and just kinda there. Also, any sountrack with old Metallica and Motorhead is worth it.

at times hillarious but definatly odd throught. There was lots i liked about it but there are so many unanswered questions, or at least the answers went over my head. Why is Hesher allowed to stay there and what is his issues? is he bi-polar? sociopathic? or maybe hes autistic...im not sure but theres something crazy going on here.

Ugh, this movie was disappointing. The movie just doesn't make sense. Events transpire in such a frustrating manner that I don't buy any of it. Devin Brochu, the young lead actor, is pretty good though. I guess my biggest problem with a movie named Hesher is that I hated the character named Hesher.

Having directionless characters does not mean you can get away with having a directionless film. 'Hesher' is a poorly imagined realisation of a premise that had potential.

I'd like to see more films with Hesher. Films like this where he wanders into the lives of secondary characters like a well-meaning tornado, dispenses with his crude and obtuse metaphors, and wanders out. Subtle film with next to no structure that survives on a combination of sentiment and fantastic acting.

I guess it's sweet. It unfortunately plays out like all manic-pixie movies except that the pixie is a douchebag.

This movie has a great cast and script. The story starts off really funny but gets really serious but it is interesting for the entire movie. I highly recommend this film.

Jgl is great as hesher, ever unpredictable, through the whole movie you hope he will be a good thing in the young boy's life, but the more crazy, outrageous stuff he does the more you start to doubt if he has any good intentions or that he's just a weird parasite. I cheered at so many memmorable scenes, It has all the ingredients; laugh out loud, painfull to watch, tearing up. It was instantly one of my favorite movies.

This could have easily been yet another quirky indie dramedy, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a fine job, and the script is unrelenting in its portrayal of the psychological damage caused by loss.

I enjoyed a lot of things about Hesher but the standout was the acting. Everyone was just great, on the top of their games. JGL was absolutely brilliant. His speeches were glorious; darkly comedic but meaningful. Good film that could have been amazing with a little more editing and polish.

Very stong performance from JGL...

i lost my nut

JGL is brilliant as usual. The story is a nice mix of dark comedy and drama, but it felt like the script could've used some polishing.

Either you like it or you don't like it. Also some crazy art in closing credits.

A film full of sad people and great one-liners. Seriously, JGL spouts some hilarious stuff. While these bits are entertaining, the Hallmark turn at the end with the random acts of violence that proceed it don't really make a very believable or coherent film. JGL, Portman, and Rainn Wilson though...you have to watch it for those three alone.

Rather disappointing considering the trailer and that is has Gordon-Levitt and Portman in it.

Is it weird to say that I really like the character Hesher? Reminds me a bit on myself in younger years. Cool flick, anarchy reigns!

JG-L proves yet again that he is destined for greatness.

Like this idea that we search for meaning in all the wrong places -- there are no real lessons to be had from this drug-addled, violent, lecherous psychopath, but that doesn't keep us from searching for something noble and wise driving his reckless insanity -- but the film does tend to over-sentimentalize the proceedings. Portman and Gordon-Levitt are just wonderful.

Very off--Sunset Blvd. story about an anarchist (brilliantly played, as usual, by J G-L) who moves in uninvited with a newly dysfunctional family as a result of the death of the mother. Levitt becomes the kid's guardian angel....from hell, and is unexpectedly softened to a degree by the grandmother. Portman, in her apparent effort to set a record for film appearances in a year, has a small but well played pivotal role. Pushes most people's limits for decorum--but given the subject matter....

Hesher, portrayed with amused vigour by Gordon-Levitt, is not as thematically interesting as this film needs him to be. He embodies T.J.'s anger, but his absurd presence in this otherwise straightforward narrative is jarring. Portman's Nicole is similarly misused, she works as a stand in for T.J.s departed mother, but isn't effective as a character in the story. Ultimately, the journey being portrayed is personal and touching, but the devices with which it is explored are disappointing.

Unusual title character makes this film distinguishable from many other indie tragicomedies that deal with loss and family relationships. Story is far from original and felt very heavy-handed. Good job gathering great cast for such a little film.

Poczatkowo film mnie odrzucal, w sumie trudno powiedziec dlaczego, ale im dalej w las, tym wiecej drzew...to znaczy przyjemnosci z ogladania. Niezle zagrany i wciaga.

GREAT. Before the ending of the first act I could already tell this was going to be one of my favorites. JGL is unstoppable! And this is his finest performance to date. Susser made an excellent debut; I'm definitely looking forward to next work. Portman, as always, is cute and that kid (TJ) is so damn loveable. This is what every film should strive to be: hilarious, heartfelt, and HESHER.

JGL is great as Hesher, but a few good scenes with him is not enough to bring it up higher than above average. Natalie Portman suffers from the pretty girl with ponytail and glasses trying to look ugly syndrome as seen in Not Another Teen Movie... All in all an enjoyable dark comedy with a great use of Hesher to embody the young T.J.'s anger of having lost his mother...

Pretty well done if Jesus walks the Earth variation. The small boy did not cope till the end, but other leads worked fine. Sure there was some rough stuff needed a bit polishing - like a bit lame ending - but I liked it as it was. It was nice to see Twin Peaks oldie, Piper Laurie on screen again.

Hipster Jesus (Pabst Blue Ribbon anyone?) descends into the life of a crestfallen family to dispense his peculiar breed of vigor. Tasty chaos ensues. Gotta love JGL for taking on roles like these and completely nailing them; when Hesher smirks, it's seemingly the pleasure for his work seeping through onto the screen.

A difficult-to-like film with a schizophrenic personality; at times TJ's life is amusing and compelling, at other times difficult emotional issues are treated with great solemnity, and the rest of the time is filled with outrageous random acts of mayhem and disrespect. It's different, but often, you feel, just for the sake of being different. This director shows potential but would probably do better within rigid genre confines, rather than writing his own playbook.

almost every hesher-quote could be turned into an awesome t-shirt.

Further proof that Joseph Gordon-Levitt can do anything. Rainn Wilson gives a surprisingly sensitive performance as the father of the young protagonist, also well-played by Devin Brochu. Like JGL's character, the film is sort of out there, different and weird yet always interesting and at times pretty funny.