A Variety review describes the film 'Heel' as a contrived story of a young British punk kidnapped for behavioral rehabilitation, starring Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough. The movie draws unfavorable comparisons to 'A Clockwork Orange' and is criticized for its implausibility and lack of realistic human behavior. Directed by Jan Komasa, the 110-minute feature premiered in early 2026.
The film 'Heel,' originally titled 'Good Boy,' follows 19-year-old Tommy, played by Anson Boon, a snarling ringleader of club kids engaging in a night of excessive drinking, drug use, and reckless behavior. The opening montage shows Tommy collapsing on the sidewalk after a typical binge, only to be abducted by a stranger and wake up chained in the basement of a rural British home.
There, Tommy encounters Chris (Stephen Graham), a mild-mannered man with a toupee who pursues rehabilitation with disguised gentility, and his wife Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough), depicted as fragile following unspecified trauma. The couple, along with their young son Sunshine (Kit Rakusen), aim to reform Tommy through methods like motivational tapes and a leashed system allowing limited movement around the house.
Directed by Polish filmmaker Jan Komasa, with a screenplay by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, the movie explores themes of behavior modification but is faulted for its garish contrivances and failure to depict believable actions. The review notes that while Tommy's initial loutish energy is convincing, his transformation feels sentimentalized and unearned, missing the irony of similar efforts in 'A Clockwork Orange.'
Production involves Magnolia Pictures and international partners, with a runtime of 110 minutes. The film screened at the Park Ave. Screening Room in New York on February 25, 2026. Cast includes Monika Frajczyk and Savannah Steyn. Cinematography by Michael Dymek, editing by Agnieszka Glińska, and music by Abel Korzeniowski contribute to the effort, produced by Jeremy Thomas and others.
