This film reminds me the Al Pacino's 'The Panic in Needle Park'. The independent filmmakers Safdie brothers directed it that inspired by the real life story of Arielle Holmes, who also starred in the lead role. This is definitely a depressing film, seeing those faces, eyes, makes sick. But a very realistic film, kind of aimless plot, till the final quarter and then with a small twist, the tale comes to an end.I have seen it and if you ask me about the story, I say its hard to describe, but it can be only watched like a documentary film. Over ninety minutes, the film revealed the life of homeless people. Like from their day beginning to the nightfall, how they make it and their preferences. So it is not an inspiring film, though at least there's something you can learn about them.After knowing the theme, I thought there would be lots of violence like rapes, stealing, cops and maybe killing. Surprisingly, it was none of those, not exactly, except drug addiction and sometimes stealing to buy drugs. Looks like from this film, the actress got a breakthrough, particularly in her life. I hope its turnover from hereon. I appreciate the directors for that who made a difference in someone's life. Don't think it is a film for entertainment, watch it if you are interested in the documentary film. So it's not for everybody, but some will find it good or maybe decent.6/10

Although it follows the lives of a group of young, homeless heroin addicts in New York, this deeply unsettling film is far removed from the typical Hollywood "junkie flick." I have known people like the characters it depicts, and I was immediately struck by the film's raw authenticity. Only later did I learn that the directors hit on the idea for the film after befriending (becoming infatuated with?) Arielle Holmes, the lead actor who was then living on the streets; they encouraged her to write about her experiences, paying her by the page, and eventually convinced her to star along with her friends in a film adaptation of her writing. Despite what has been charitably described as a "nano budget," "Heaven Knows What" is extremely well made. The score creates a sense of unease, and every shot in the film is expertly framed.

This is an incredible touching, intimate and stark film. You follow a young woman, who seems so fragile lost in a world we all fear filled with drugs, hopelessness and even more frightening: Love. We've all seen the passionate and outlandish arguments on the street between people that call it home, but we disregard it all as fleeting and inhuman. This film puts a human face to the people we turn away from so quickly. I commend the filmmakers for not making heroin sexy. It's a sad disease you contract that's taken three of my close friends. This film helps us better understand drug abuse and the people stuck in that cycle. It couldn't have felt more real.

"Heaven Knows What" (2014 release; 94 min.) brings the story of Harley and her friends. As the movie opens, we see Harley making out with her boyfriend Ilyou, only later to see her beg of him in the library "what can I do for you to forgive me?". Ilyou isn't moved and in fact eggs Harley on to kill herself if she wants to prove to him how much she loves him. Much to Ilyou's shock and horror, she slits her wrist right in front of him. An ambulance is called and Harley survives. At this point we're not even 15 min. into the movie. To tell you more might spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this movie is directed by bothers Ben and Joshua Safdie, who have made plenty of previous films (usual shorties), and is based on Arielle Holmes' book "Mad Love in New York City". Mad indeed! I had a hard time relating to the characters, and simply couldn't understand what this movie was about, other than Harley and her friends talking, arguing, shooting up, and repeat. After an hour or so, I simply gave up trying to care of understand what this incomprehensible mess was trying to get at. I don't mean to sound harsh, but it's been a long time that I have felt so utterly disconnected from a movie (and I see LOTS of movies). I got the sense that the Safdie brothers were going for that same vibe usually associated with Harmony Korine ("Kids", "Spring Breakers"), except that they lack the vision which Korine lays out in his movies (and you may or may not agree with his vision, but he has one)."Heaven Knows What" opened without any pre-release fanfare or advertising at my local art-house theater in Cincinnati last week. As a fan of indie movies, I took a flyer on this and, despite not knowing much of the movie, I went to see this a few days ago. The early evening screening where I saw this at turned out to be a private screening, as in: I was literally the only person in the theater. Had I known more about the movie beforehand, it surely would've been a completely empty screening. As it turns out, I made a mistake going to see this movie as it's not worth seeing. That doesn't mean you have to make that same mistake. There are so many deserving indie movies out there for our viewing pleasure. "Heaven Knows What" is not one of them.