Hesher

Hesher (2010) is Spencer Susser's grief-soaked drama, available to watch online on iFILM. Thirteen-year-old T.J. has just lost his mother; his dad has checked out emotionally, and a filthy-haired metalhead invites himself into their home.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the title squatter as pure chaos: homemade tattoos, a beat-up van, a habit of setting things on fire and zero interest in being liked. The boy latches onto him anyway. Natalie Portman turns up as Nicole, a shy grocery clerk T.J. has a crush on, and Piper Laurie plays the grandmother holding what's left of the family together.

The film swings between pitch-black comedy and raw mourning, and Hesher works less as a mentor than as a lightning rod for everything the family won't say out loud. Susser's feature debut earned praise for refusing to tidy up loss into a lesson. It suits viewers who prefer their indie dramas mean and ragged rather than comforting. Stream Hesher (2010) online on iFILM.