Heel (The Good Boy)

Play trailer

2:07

Heel (The Good Boy)

Mar 2026

1h 50m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

From Academy Award® nominated director Jan Komasa, HEEL is a twisted thriller that follows 19-year-old hooligan Tommy (Anson Boon), who revels in a life of drugs, parties, and violence. One night, on a bender with his reckless friends, he becomes separated from the group and is abducted by an unknown figure (Golden Globe® winner Stephen Graham). Though he is no stranger to inflicting violence, he is enraged and horrified when he wakes to find himself chained in the basement of the isolated suburban family home of Chris (Graham), his wife Kathryn (Academy Award® nominee Andrea Riseborough), and their young son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). The family sets out to reform Tommy's unruly behavior, forcing him to comply with their relentless mind games or seek escape at any cost.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Having a maniacally fun time while wrestling with provocative questions about rehabilitation, Heel is a nutty thriller that has a surprising amount of method to its madness.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

4d

This is a curious, unsettling picture, with parallels to A Clockwork Orange: in this meeting of monsters, Chris is every bit as repellent and inhuman as Tommy at his rampaging worst.

Go to Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

4d

An impressively nasty black comedy.

Go to Full Review

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Mar 20

2/5

The half-ideas at play here suggest a Yorgos Lanthimos twist on A Clockwork Orange, but that pitch could very easily have malfunctioned in exactly the ways this film does.

Go to Full Review

Tom Shone

Sunday Times (UK)

4d

3/5

The film can be a gruesome watch.

Go to Full Review

Fran Winston

Daily Express (UK)

4d

4.5/5

The film does lag a bit in the third act, but it remains engaging nonetheless.

Go to Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Mar 20

Heel is a provocative dark satire of kidnapping that raises questions about ethics for criminal rehabilitation and definitions of 'found families.' The talented cast's performances elevate a story that sometimes meanders and has a divisive ending.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Akira B

@akirabergman 5h

It was difficult to watch but rewarding in the end. Interesting story told well.

See more

Stuart M

@mcstuio 13h

Brilliantly acted black comedy drama. Stephen Graham briliant as always.

See more

P M

@Mind-pool 1d

The Good Boy starring Stephen Graham — 6/10. It’s a decent watch, but very slow-paced. You don’t miss much if your attention drifts, which says a lot about the lack of tension. The performances are solid across the board, and Stephen Graham does his usual strong job, but the film never quite delivers on what it feels like it’s aiming for. It seems to be reaching for something gritty and psychological, but it doesn’t fully get there. You can see the intention, but the impact just isn’t strong enough. Overall, it’s good—but it falls short of the intensity and edge it needed to really stand out.

See more

Vanessa S

@motherofmovies 2d

Not as dark as I thought it was going to go. Went all moralising and which is fine I guess. Definitely someones pondering on the staleness of todays youth.

See more

tm11999 M

@tm11999 2d

for those equating drying out and dicipline with stockholm syndrome, re-think. very simple 2 month course that should be done with out of control "people" the world over. andrea riseborough was a hottie back when and the character she plays forlorn and sad seemed to me to be the exact person she is now, 44 and childless. you can watch this.

See more

R T

@RT79870065 3d

Great concept, and a good watch a little more explanation as to the family’s previous life would have been good. But definitely a good watch.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Jan Komasa

Director

Stephen Graham

Chris

Andrea Riseborough

Kathryn

Anson Boon

Tommy

Kit Rakusen

Jonathan

Bartek Bartosik

Screenwriter

Heel: Exclusive Movie Clip - Doorbell

1:00

View more videos

The Good Boy: UK Trailer

2:05

Heel: Trailer 1

2:07

Heel: Movie Clip - First Look

1:17

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

From Academy Award® nominated director Jan Komasa, HEEL is a twisted thriller that follows 19-year-old hooligan Tommy (Anson Boon), who revels in a life of drugs, parties, and violence. One night, on a bender with his reckless friends, he becomes separated from the group and is abducted by an unknown figure (Golden Globe® winner Stephen Graham). Though he is no stranger to inflicting violence, he is enraged and horrified when he wakes to find himself chained in the basement of the isolated suburban family home of Chris (Graham), his wife Kathryn (Academy Award® nominee Andrea Riseborough), and their young son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). The family sets out to reform Tommy's unruly behavior, forcing him to comply with their relentless mind games or seek escape at any cost.

Director: Jan Komasa
Producer: Jeremy Thomas, Ewa Piaskowska, Jerzy Skolimowski
Screenwriter: Bartek Bartosik, Naqqash Khalid
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Skopia Film, Recorded Picture Company
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 6, 2026
Runtime: 1h 50m

Most Popular at Home Now