Title: Sacred Heart
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Kosta Nikas
Starring: David Field, Kipan Rothbury, Lizzie Schebesta
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

What It Is: A religious man, Robert (Rothbury), loses his Faith after his pregnant wife dies unexpectedly. Throughout the film, Robert battles his internal conflict with a Priest, (Field).

What We Think: If I had a way to describe what grief looks like, Sacred Heart would be the most accurate depiction of it. Rothbury delivers a show-stopping performance as his character Robert is going through the “Stages of Death and Dying” after losing his spouse and unborn child. Constantly, Robert is trying to find a reason why God took his wife. In a way, Robert’s mentality felt like what almost all faithful persons face at least once in their religious journeys– why did God do this? His inner conflict was projected onto the Preist he was with (Field also gave a stellar performance on his part). Robert begins to question the way the church, priests, and even God himself works, creating a sense of paranoia from Robert’s point of view. The storyline gives us bits of information and flashbacks that we finally piece together at the end, delivering a plot twist with a high shock value. The flashbacks were placed incredibly well and explained more about Robert’s past, contributing to his now changed status as an Atheist. The plot twist didn’t just materialize out of nothing — it made so much sense. It was incredibly satisfactory in terms of plot structure, but also tragic in its impact.  The cinematography was magnificent. The beautiful opening shot for the film hooked me, as well as some of the first lines, said. The symbols that the director, Nikas, decided to place for Robert’s wife, unborn child, and even Jesus, -were heart-wrenching, and made me feel an inexplicable sorrow when Robert threw it all away. The locations used for this film were incredibly smart. We were stuck with the main character in his house for most of the film, which let me feel the paranoia and tension. There were only a few questionable shots, but nothing to throw off the mood of the film. Although sticking with the main character all this time was nice, I would’ve appreciated a break from his constant negative emotions. I would like to see a better balance of the emotions– bring the audience to more of the happy times Robert spent with his wife, for instance, so we have more attachment and more reason to feel bad.

Our Grade: B, a true dive into the human condition, This made me think about my own stance on religion. It’s a truly thought-provoking film, and worth your watch!