Heart of Stone movie review can be summed up as a visually appealing spy thriller film with a mediocre story shouldered on weak characters and faulty script execution.
Heart of Stone dropped on Netflix on August 11th, and it is evident to talk about a female-led spy thriller catching everyone’s attention ever since the announcement. The cast of Heart of Stone includes Gal Gadot, Alia Bhatt, and Jamie Dornan in lead roles, and it is a Tom Harper directorial film with a screenplay helmed by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. Skydance, Pilot Wave, and Mockingbird Pictures produced the spooky spy thriller.
Let us decode every 122 minutes of the movie and begin the Heart of Stone movie review.
IMDb rating: 5.7/10
Popgeek rating: 5/10
Heart of Stone: Acting Review
First and Foremost, Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone is a brilliant casting choice. The Israeli actress embodied Stone’s determination, confidence, and fierceness with such ease that she was the only thing we would love to watch on the screen. There are scenes of emotional dilemma and extreme tension to which Gadot does total justice. The movie is rightly called “Heart of Stone,” and Gadot’s portrayal of the disparity between thinking from the heart and the mind’s logistics were packed well in her acting.
Jamie Dornan as Parker is the surprising element of the film. The charming actor flips the side with a click when he has to turn the table from being vulnerable and supportive to revealing his true face and being ruthless about his intentions. Jamie as Parker is a treat to watch.
Alia Bhatt Heart of Stone plays her part well as a 22-year-old hurt student turned into a villain. Although the writing fails to utilize her true potential, the dialogue delivery in the action sequences seems out of place somewhere.
The shining star from the supporting casts has to be Matthias Schweighofer as Jack of Hearts, providing ultimate assistance to Gadot in executing deadly missions. Sophia Okonedo is brilliant, decisive, and fierce as Nomad. Jing Lusi and Paul Reddy also contribute their best to the film.
Heart of Stone: Direction Review
Tom Harper gives his best in executing the story development and character depiction. He accomplishes the story and main characters of Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot), Parker (Jamie Dornan), and Keya Dhawan (Alia Bhatt). However, a talented director cannot save a weak story no matter how much effort he puts in. Harper made the film to maintain the momentum. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much to offer.
Harper gave away some goosebumps while revealing the big twist of the movie. Still, other than that, there was nothing that would keep you hooked and astonished throughout the 122 minutes runtime.
Heart of Stone: Story Review
The story starts with a brilliant action sequence to introduce Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) and her team, including Yang (Jing Lusi), Paul Reddy (Bailey), and Parker (Jamie Dornan). As the team executes the plan to catch Mulvaney (Enzo Cilenti), a most-wanted arms dealer, in a casino, they learn a bigger threat following them, most notably to the “Heart.” Catching Mulvaney wasn’t an easy task, and it required Stone to first fight on the ground, take a parachute down the hills, travel through rope, and ride a bike, all for a poisoned Mulvaney who dies, and it was good for nothing.
The rest of the story is built on Keya Dhawan (Alia Bhatt) hacking the “Heart,” a powerful AI tool that has every detail of the data that can manipulate and cause havoc to every being, and Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) making every possible move physically and intelligently to combat the tech-freak and conspiring villain.
The story has moments when Parker (Jamie Dornan) is revealed to be a traitor. Eventually, it kills Yang and Bailey, leaving Stone to die. With the death of her friends and getting expelled from the Charter, Stone makes it her mission to bring Parker and Keya to their knees. What follows is the cliché spy chasing the villain narrator trope, which was utterly forgettable.
Heart of Stone: Sound Design, Action, and Production Analysis
The sound design seems to fit the theme of the film. Heart of Stone is a visual treat to watch; the exotic locations add more points to it. The production and art direction of the film is good. The set pieces and positioning of the scenes compliments the theme. The costume and makeup department deserves credit for showing Gadot as one of the best-dressed female spies in the industry. The action is excellent in some sequences and seems forced in other sequences. The chase for Mulvaney, escape from the soldiers, and the climax fighting scene is worth watching.
Final Verdict on Heart of Stone
Heart of Stone cleverly shows the disparity between the heart’s and mind’s decisions. Rachel Stone helms the film on her shoulder but can’t sail the sinking ship due to faulty writing. Go for the movie, but only if you are a Gal Gadot or Jamie Dornan fan.
Have you seen The Heart of Stone yet? What are your reviews on the spooky thriller? Tell us in the comments below and return to Popgeek for more such reviews and Pop-culture updates.
FAQs
- Is Heart of Stone a good movie?
Heart of Stone cleverly shows the disparity between the heart’s and mind’s decisions. Rachel Stone helms the film on her shoulder but can’t sail the sinking ship due to faulty writing. Go for the movie, but only if you are a Gal Gadot or Jamie Dornan fan. - What is Heart of Stone about?
Heart of Stone follows Rachel Stone, a robust global peacekeeping organization agent. She journeys on a mission to protect the organization’s most valuable and dangerous asset. - Is Heart of Stone related to Mission: Impossible?
Heart of Stone is similar to Mission: Impossible and even Pathaan, given that the theme of the films is simple and the generic portrayal of chasing the classy and more intelligent villain. - Will there be a Heart of Stone 2?
Netflix or the core team has given no official confirmation. However, director Tom Harper said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he would love to explore Rachel Stone’s character more. He wishes this film would be the first of many of Heart of Stone’s films.
Kesuv is an experienced pop-culture writer who has been writing all things entertainment for five years. He is also an avid Marvel fan and loves to pen about its characters, stories, and the universe that has caught his attention for so many years. If you’re also a Marvel enthusiast, you can even DM Kesuv on Instagram to gossip all about its fictional universe! We’re sure he can do that without breaks!
