'Heartland' Review
Release Date: 11/13/26 [Netflix]
Genre: Drama. Music. Mystery.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Netflix.
The Verdict: A Mistake
Written and directed by Shana Feste, Heartland leads an estranged former country star back to Nashville to search for her missing niece, who has disappeared from the public eye and the toxicity of fame. Being southern, Jessica Chastain’s Misty Jones bears an accent to match, and oh, how it does not suit her. As the lead, Chastain has an enormous amount of screen time, and while her “take no shit” mentality is fantastic to watch, it’s all the more irritating when she opens her mouth. She is the only one with this sort of accent, and that’s what makes it all the more distracting. Apart from that detail, Heartland is a mess on top of a mess on top of a mess when it comes to storytelling.
Country musician Carter Faith plays Misty’s niece, Charlie Hart. The film revolves around the dark side of Nashville, the idea that fame causes mental exhaustion, stalkers entering the frame, and a power-abusive record company that just wants her talent. Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) as Roy Combs has the will to stop most of this as the head of the label, but sometimes a nice guy on the outside hides something far more concerning underneath. There is a decent film within the confines of what we are given, but it never comes close to presenting a complete picture. One second we’re looking for Carter Faith, the next we’re focusing on Misty Jones' past, and by the time the first amps up, it’s out of left field and has little impact, since there have been no hints of the result. Ross Lynch (My Friend Dahmer) as Jace Jacobs offers the only solid bit of music we get in the film, and it’s incredibly short-lived.
I’m maintaining an unfortunate lack of depth to these issues because if it’s something you want to see, the spoilers can become rampant very quickly and challenge your experience. All you need to know is that the mystery at hand is a major letdown after the first act, and the thing that Nashville is known for - the country music - is barely displayed. When it is, you'd be given a pass for not being overly impressed by the country “stars” that have sold out arenas past and present.
The film is eerie, showcasing the underbelly of a legendary city that’s in plain sight. It’s a world of manipulation, toxicity, and off-key notes; this Nashville is consumed by gloom and Crown & Cokes. I wish there were more to dig our teeth into here, but the mystery ends far too soon, and what comes after is an irredeemable mess of ideas that sadly don't make the ending pack as big a punch as it should.
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