One star might be generous. this was gruelingly boring and the story was completely pointless. another example that you can make any movie look good with a good trailer (1 viewing)

Before hitting the big time with "Good Time", the Safdie Brothers made this uncompromising Indie gem about heroin addicts in New York based on the real-life experiences of leading actress Arielle Holmes. "Heaven Knows What" is like a 21st century version of "Panic in Needle Park" and it deserves to be just as well known. It's certainly not an easy watch but Holmes and co-stars Caleb Landry Jones and Buddy Duress are superb and you can tell the Safdies definitely had a future ahead of them. This might be off-kilter and low budget but it feels as if they had been making films for years. As "Good Time" finally showed, they have an unerring visual sense even when dealing with material as downbeat and as depressing as this and some scenes almost have a look of magic realism to them. With Holmes virtually playing herself we could just as easily be watching a documentary. The Brothers also inject a good deal of humanity into the material so while it is certainly depressing it never feels exploitative.

Mad Love in New York ... that is not a bad title. Not sure if it is just one that the movie got in Germany or elsewhere too. Of course you still may not be entirely aware of where this is going. This is about lost individuals ... our main character is especially lost. Lost in love ... lost in drugs ... lost and confused in so many ways.

The actors in this, the way the movie is written (not sure if all the dialogs are scripted - they feel as real as they can get. This is harrowing, this is anything but an easy watch. But it is so powerful and so truthful. Really good in so many ways.