My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To Blu-ray Movie

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My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To Blu-ray Movie United States

MPI Media Group | 2020 | 89 min | Not rated | Aug 10, 2021

My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To (Blu-ray Movie)

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Movie rating

7.2
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users0.0 of 50.0
Reviewer3.5 of 53.5
Overall3.5 of 53.5

Overview

My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To (2020)

Two mysterious siblings find themselves at odds over care for their frail and sickly younger brother.

Starring: Patrick Fugit, Ingrid Sophie Schram, Owen Campbell, Moises L. Tovar, Judah Bateman
Director: Jonathan Cuartas

DramaInsignificant
HorrorInsignificant

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
    Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1

  • Audio

    English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
    English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)

  • Subtitles

    English SDH

  • Discs

    Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie4.0 of 54.0
Video4.5 of 54.5
Audio4.0 of 54.0
Extras0.5 of 50.5
Overall3.5 of 53.5

My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To Blu-ray Movie Review

Non-nuclear family meltdown.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 20, 2021

It sounds like a bad anime series, but Jonathan Cuartas' feature-length debut film My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To is actually a clever little psychological horror film with a low budget, a small cast, and pretty big results. It's co-produced by Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) who also stars as Dwight, a quiet man living with his domineering sister Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) and their sick young brother Thomas (Owen Campbell, The Americans) in an unnamed small town. Jessie's the sole breadwinner as a diner waitress and Dwight mostly tools around at night, seeking out the homeless and drifters to kill for their blood, which they carefully preserve for Thomas' consumption. That, combined with the boy's deadly reaction to sunlight, makes his true identity as thinly-veiled as the name "Dr. Acula".


But My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To isn't a monster movie, nor does it ever mention the "V" word or rely on religious subtext. Instead, it offers more of a symbolic portrait of a small, crumbling family unit whose control over the most vulnerable member eventually leads to its destruction. As-is, the siblings' kill-feed-rinse-repeat formula just isn't sustainable, both logically and emotionally: Jessie is a walking shell, determined to keep Thomas alive by any means necessary, and more pragmatic Dwight clearly knows their charade can't go on for much longer. Signs appear quickly: one victim, a prostitute (Katie Preston), turns out to be an acquaintance. After kidnapping illegal immigrant Eduardo (Moises L. Tovar), Dwight can't follow through with the usual routine and secretly keeps him captive instead. Likewise, Thomas' growing pleas to have a normal life -- even make friends with a few neighborhood kids, who he hears outside but obviously can't see -- lead to a curious visitor (Judah Bateman) knocking on their door. At least two of these three intersect during the closest thing to a climax, after which the unorthodox family unit all but disintegrates.

My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To only covers a brief time in the lives of Dwight, Jessie, and Thomas; maybe a few weeks at most, offering just enough detail to get the picture without straining its believability. Fittingly, it offers no detailed flashbacks of how these characters got caught up in this trap... barely even any hints, although I'm sure the most curious viewers will try to fill in a few blanks. Its deceptively serene coda follows suit by resolving what little is left from the surviving characters' lives while still having the good sense to subtly imply that they'll pay for -- or at least own up to -- their unspeakable actions. No one will get away clean here, even if we kinda want them to.

It's a potent formula, all things considered, and one that scratches a very particular itch rather than just going through horror cliches and trudging through other swaths of well-traveled territory. I'll admit part of its charm was due to going in with absolutely no expectations, hence my somewhat brief and intentionally vague summary above. Needless to say, this is not the kind of film where jump scares and excessive gore abound; while pieces of My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To clearly depend on those elements, they don't feel gratuitous or overcooked, just well-placed and mostly necessary to the story. All told, it's fine work for a first-time director, especially one working on such a low budget and what amounted to a 20-day shooting schedule. MPI's new Blu-ray edition serves up a rock-solid A/V presentation that, while disappointingly low on extras, is worth seeking out based on the strength of the main feature.


My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  4.5 of 5

Though it takes place in a run-down suburban home in small-town America, My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To is a beautifully shot production that lends itself to plenty of memorable visuals. Framed surprisingly tight at 1.33:1, the narrow aspect ratio feels a little gimmicky but does ramp up claustrophobia at opportune moments. Even so, most of this digitally-shot production plays it straight from a technical perspective with careful lighting that showcases fine detail and textures in close-ups and wide shots alike, as well as shadows that don't fall victim to black crush, banding, or compression artifacts. Colors are likewise represented very well; purposely muddy and muted more often than not -- more so because of drab interior decorating than heavy filters -- with accurate skin tones and warm primaries that also creep in on occasion. Although confined to a single-layered Blu-ray, the aspect ratio and modest running time (~90 minutes, including extras) allow for a strong bit rate from start to finish. All told, this is a very nice-looking presentation that shines on Blu-ray, proving again you don't always need a huge budget for rock-solid results.


My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  4.0 of 5

Although the sound design doesn't always swing for the fences, My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To features a very capable DTS- HD 5.1 Master Audio mix -- as well as a front-loaded lossless 2.0 option -- that balances clean and crisp dialogue with plenty of intermittent sonic flourishes that help to amplify its more suspenseful and emotionally charged moments. Strong channel separation and panning effects are rare, however, with most of the surround activity arriving in the form of a blanket-like atmosphere delivered by ambient noise and the original score by Andrew Rease Shaw. As most of the film takes place within a nondescript suburban house, the soundstage remains mostly narrow but widens during occasional trips outside. Like the story itself, it's an underplayed but effective effort, even if part of me wished for a slightly more ambitious end result. Even so, I doubt anyone's really going to be disappointed here.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only. Forced English subtitles are also displayed during stray lines of Spanish dialogue spoken by Eduardo, one of the kidnapping victims.


My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  0.5 of 5

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with text-heavy cover artwork and no inserts of any kind. The bonus features are almost non-existent, which is unfortunate as I'd have loved to hear from the cast and crew.

  • Theatrical Trailer (1:54) - This effective promotional piece can also be seen here.


My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  3.5 of 5

Jonathan Cuartas' feature-length debut My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To is an effective indie horror film with solid performances and a great dramatic core. The unsettling atmosphere holds your interest while its story unfolds, building to a satisfying conclusion that's both bittersweet and open-ended. Simply put, this is maximum effectiveness on a minimal budget. MPI's Blu-ray offers a solid A/V presentation, but the lack of bonus features is disappointing. It's still well worth a watch and Recommended to established fans and first-times alike at the current price point.