Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Anson Boon star in a psychological thriller where bad behavior comes with some seriously disturbing consequences.
Remind MeBad behavior usually earns you a lecture, a grounding, or maybe a very disappointed look from your parents. Getting kidnapped and chained up in someone's basement? Okay, now we're getting a little excessive. The psychological thriller Heel is coming to Tubi on October 15, and its approach to teaching someone a lesson makes detention look like a vacation.
Directed by Jan Komasa, Heel follows Tommy, a 19-year-old troublemaker whose lifestyle revolves around drugs, partying, and violence. After a night out takes a seriously unexpected turn, he wakes up chained in the basement of a suburban family home. His captors? A seemingly respectable couple convinced they can transform him into a model citizen through their own deeply disturbing rehabilitation program. Forget tough love. We're talking really tough love.
With psychological manipulation, questionable parenting techniques, and a household where obedience is practically mandatory, this is one family you definitely don't want inviting you over for dinner. For another psychological thriller where control becomes a dangerous game, Sanctuary turns one hotel room into a battle of wills, proving that you don't need a basement to make someone feel trapped. Tubi's Thrillers collection has plenty more twisted stories to explore while you wait for this one to arrive.
Bad boys beware.
Graham plays Chris, the controlling patriarch who believes Tommy's violent behavior can be corrected through his family's unconventional methods. Graham brings his commanding screen presence to a character whose outward respectability conceals something deeply unsettling. His ability to move between ordinary conversation and quiet intimidation makes Chris especially disturbing, turning the idea of a concerned father figure into someone whose authority feels increasingly threatening.
Behind every deeply questionable family operation, there's someone helping keep things running. Riseborough portrays Kathryn, Chris's wife and an equally important presence in Tommy's disturbing rehabilitation. Her character's eerie composure and unsettling detachment create a different kind of tension from her husband's controlling behavior. Riseborough's talent for portraying psychologically complex characters makes Kathryn's quiet presence particularly unnerving.
Boon brings an explosive, confrontational energy to the troubled young man, balancing his aggression with the growing vulnerability of someone desperately trying to regain control. As Tommy's defiance collides with his captors' relentless demands, Boon's performance keeps the audience questioning whether they're watching a villain face consequences or a victim fighting for survival.
As the child growing up under his parents' unusual beliefs, Rakusen's Jonathan represents the uncomfortable intersection between innocence and learned behavior. Rakusen's youthful presence provides a contrast to the adults' psychological games, making the family's warped understanding of normalcy feel even more disturbing.
“Come downstairs. We have a few rules to rewrite.”
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