Title – Heel (2025)

Director – Jan Komasa (Warsaw 44)

Cast – Stephen Graham, Anson Boon, Andrea Riseborough

Plot – Chris (Graham) and his wife Kathryn (Riseborough) kidnap young criminal Tommy (Boon) and imprison him in their home in hopes that their “rehabilitation” program will turn him into a respectful and functioning member of society. 

“Tommy’s going through a rebellious stage”

Review by Eddie on 11/06/2026

Heel (or Good Boy in many territories) is a strange beast of a film, one that is constantly threatening to become something great and one that at times walks an impressively fine line between outright thriller and in other moments a more darkly comical tightrope, but it’s a film that also at days end feels like something of a missed opportunity to do something great with a talented cast and loaded concept.

Polish filmmaker Jan Komasa enlisted the support of the very hot right now Stephen Graham, renowned character actress Andre Riseborough and up and coming Mobland star Anson Boon to help him bring his tale of Graham’s softly spoken but fiercely determined Chris’s exploits of kidnapping and rehabilitating Boon’s arrogant petty criminal Tommy to become a better member of society to life but despite his casts best attempts, Heel constantly feels like it’s hamstrung by some poor storytelling and lack of details, holding it back from becoming a cult classic in waiting.

The type of film that may not sit well with some viewers that aren’t able to vibe with its odd tone and glum undertones, Heel wastes little time in throwing us into the exploits of Chris, his solemn wife Kathryn and enthusiastic young son Jonathan as they imprison Tommy into their secluded rural property.

They have hopes of him turning into a “good boy” after years of arrogancy and questionable behaviour but as you hope to gain greater insight into what has lead Chris and his family down this path, why they chose Tommy or why their individually motivated to do the things they do, Heel consistently keeps you hanging in suspense with its divisive ending likely cause for many to either dislike the film a whole lot more or love it more than they did prior to its conclusion.

What’s unquestionable about the film is the work of its main trio who all deliver on what we’ve come to expect from them.

Virtually playing his character of Eddie Harrigan from Mobland, Boon continues to prove he’s great at playing someone we can hate while Graham and Riseborough are as reliable as you’d have hoped for in their respective turns, with Graham in particular doing great work as a character we are confused by feelings wise, with Chris a hard man to pin down as we grapple morally with what he is trying to achieve by kidnapping someone for unknown reasonings.

Making a career playing every day relevant figures or making his mark majorly by going full villain mode in the likes of This is England or Boardwalk Empire, Graham’s turn here as Chris is another unique addition to his growing C.V and as he and Tommy play a cat and mouse game across the films close to two hour running time, Graham is never not engaging, continuing to push his cause in being regarded as one of the most powerful performers in the industry at this current time.

Thankfully unpredictable in most of its story movements, Heel is at times downright impressive but at other times curiously unengaging or frustrating, making for a topsy-turvy viewing experience that would’ve benefited greatly from a more satisfying finale and more answers than Komasa was willing to give us in his final product.

Final Say –

A fresh take on a familiar cat and mouse set-up, Heel has its moments and is helped along by its talented cast but with too many loose threads and unsatisfying answers, Jan Komasa’s film feels like it never breaks free from its shackles completely.

3 movie nights out of 5