In East London, Jamie Morgan (Jim Sturgess) is a disturbed twenty-five year old photographer that misses his deceased father and has a complex due to his birthmark on the left side of his face and shoulder, wearing a hood on the streets to hide his face. In his neighborhood, the gangs have increased violence and there are a series of unresolved brutal murders in the area. One night, Jamie overhears screams on the street and he sees demons around a campfire. Jamie lives a reclusive life with his beloved mother Marion (Ruth Sheen) and works in a studio with his brother Ray (Justin Salinger) and his nephew Lee (Luke Treadaway). When Jamie sees the aspirant model Tia (Clémence Poésy) photographed by Ray and Lee, he has a crush on her and brings one picture of Tia to his home. On the birthday of Marion, Lee gives an expensive jewel to his grandmother. When Jamie visits the tombstone of his father in the cemetery with his mother, they are attacked in the bus stop by a gang of demons and Marion is burned to death and Jamie is battered. Then his neighbor and former gang member A.J. (Noel Clarke) is murdered on the streets. Jamie buys a pistol for self-protection and is ready to commit suicide; however he is summoned by the devil Papa B (Joseph Mawle) in the Cendrillon House, the building where his father lived. When he meets Papa B and his young assistant Belle (Nikita Mistry),the devil proposes a deal to him. Jamie should rebirth as a Phoenix without his birthmark, provided he meets the Weapons Man (Eddie Marsan) and vandalizes and brings chaos to Papa B. Jamie becomes self- confident and when he meets Tia by chance, he dates her. However, the Weapons Man visits him and tells that he must collect a heart and leave it on the stairway of a church. Jamie kills a male hustler and accomplishes his assignment. However, when Papa B demands the heart of Tia, Jamie faces his own demons and discovers the truth about his troubled mind.

"Heartless" is the third film of Philip Ridley that I have seen ("The Reflecting Skin" was my first, and "The Passion of Darkly Noon" was the other one). Philip Ridley is a complete artist and for those readers that do not know, he is also a writer of novels and plays for adults and children, painter, photographer, poet and song writer. "Heartless" is dark, complex and as usual, Philip Ridley explores religious symbols along the story. The performances are top-notch and the conclusion explains the bad trip of Jamie; who are the demons; who is Belle indeed; and why he has met and dated Tia. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Marca da Vingança" ("Mark of the Revenge")

A really great twisted Horror Thriller. Not completely as original as the filmmakers want you to believe (watch last years "The Disappeared" for a similar film/movie experience, also made/from the UK),but a really great movie. Jim Sturges, who really has played quite a few roles and seems to be a rising new star on the British horizon, carries this movie with his lead performance.

He and some of his co-stars where at the Fright Fest screening, where Jim performed a song from the soundtrack of the movie. A soundtrack that has been written just for the movie and is integrated very well into it. Very subtle layered and greatly acted, this might need a second viewing, to get most of the story!

Jamie lives at home with his mum on a housing estate in London, it's a fairly troubled part of the city. Jamie is very handsome, but lacks confidence, due to a heart shaped birth mark on his face. One evening Jamie's at a bus shelter with his mum when a group attack them, burning his mum alive in front of him. A series of events lead Jamie to a demon who promises anything for a returned favour of chaos. Jamie asks for his birth mark to be removed, and arises perfect. One of the Demon's servants arrives at Jamie's house and demands a brutal murder as payment.

Each time I watch this film I'm blown away by just how imaginative it is, it manages to be profound, dark, engaging, funny and scary, Philip Ridley did an incredible job directing this. It's very much a film of two halves, the first a bit slower in tone, plenty of character development, the second a lot darker, posing plenty of moral questions.

Jim Sturgess is brilliant in the title role. Joseph Mawle is insanely creepy as Papa B, such an enormously talented man. Clémence Poésy is good, and Timothy Spall's small role at the end show's his calibre.

The mind is a wonderful thing, clearly his had masked some terrible goings on in his life. I think the definite message coming out of this film is beauty is inside, not what's on the surface.

A film not to be missed, it takes you to some dark places, but is certainly rewarding. 8/10