‘My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To’ Arrives June 25 Digital; Aug. 10 Disc
The film will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on August 10
Fresh off the heels of a successful Tribeca Film Festival, Dark Sky Films proudly announces the June 25th theatrical + digital release of MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO. Currently at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, this highly anticipated release has quickly become a critical darling.
Dwight (Patrick Fugit) prowls the streets after dark. He searches each night for the lonely and forlorn, looking for people who won’t be missed. Dwight takes no joy in this, but he needs their blood. Without fresh human blood, his fragile young brother Thomas cannot survive. Each death takes a larger toll, the burden of his crimes weighing heavier each time, threatening to crack his spirit. But Thomas (Owen Campbell) and his sister Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) are all the family Dwight has left, and as a fiercely private and close-knit family unit, they depend on him and the rituals they’ve learned in order to keep their secret. But while Dwight yearns for another life, Jessie needs them to stay together. And always the boy must feed.
With his austere feature debut, featuring remarkable performances from the entire cast, writer, and director Jonathan Cuartas has made himself a filmmaker to watch. His restrained approach, sparse frame, and sharply wound focus weave the mythological elements of his story into a neo-realist family drama that elevates the traditional micro-budget American indie into something altogether unique. —Landon Zakheim
MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO
Written and Directed by: Jonathan Cuartas
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Distributor: Dark Sky Films
Produced by: Kenny Oiwa Riches, Anthony Pedone, Jesse Brown, Ian Peterson, Patrick Fugit
Cast: Patrick Fugit, Ingrid Sophie Schram, Owen Campbell
Production Designer: Rodrigo Cuartas
Cinematographer: Michael Cuartas
Run Time: 90 minutes
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:
“its sad, furtive characters still linger in the mind well after the blood they’ve spilt has dried.” – Variety
“…harrowing, beautiful and curious…” – Film-Authority.com
“…manages to vividly diagnose a sickness of insularity endemic to middle-class America.”- Slant
“It’s an entire meditative, brooding feature that centers on the question of how far you would go in the name of family. Cuartas captures that in the form of personal sacrifice and ruination, in the most bittersweet and devastating way.”
-Bloody Disgusting
“one of the most powerful and devastating horror films of the year”- Bad Feeling Magazine
“The dialogue and characterizations are gripping, and all of the cast members turn in intriguing performances.”
– Horror Fuel
“pathos and poignancy are in ample supply, and it’s a solid debut feature for Cuartas”- Lamplight Reviews
“Cuartas brings something fresh to the party via the intensity of his approach, with rigid, formal framing and remarkable performances from the cast.” – Film Authority
“Each densely packed and claustrophobic frame feels like voyeurism as we witness intimate, private family movements sometimes at a distance and from around the corner.” – The Film Stage
“It’s a big open wound of a film, a gutting exploration of familial obligations and the all too familiar feeling of being held back and dragged down by those you love.” – In Review Online
“It’s a big open wound of a film, a gutting exploration of familial obligations and the all too familiar feeling of being held back and dragged down by those you love.” – Jordy Reviews It
