The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

"Behind the greatest hoax of our time is the heartbreaking story that started it all."

2004 1h 38m EN

😐

5.9

MID

🥫

41%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 163🥫41%Rotten Tomatoes●27Metacritic★6.2IMDB · 7,233

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Young Jeremiah lives in a stable environment with loving foster parents until the day his troubled mother, Sarah, returns to claim him. Jeremiah becomes swept up in his mother's dangerous world of drugs, seedy hotels, strip joints and revolving lovers. Salvation comes in the form of the boy's ultrareligious grandparents, but soon Jeremiah's mother returns. Maternal love binds the pair together on the road until Sarah's desperate and depraved lifestyle finally consumes her.

“Behind the greatest hoax of our time is the heartbreaking story that started it all.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Asia Argento
Sarah
Jimmy Bennett
Young Jeremiah
Jeremy Renner
Emerson
Winona Ryder
Psychologist
Ornella Muti
Grandmother
Peter Fonda
Grandfather
Dylan Sprouse
Older Jeremiah
Kara Kemp
Social Worker #1

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Asia Argento
Writers: Asia Argento, Alessandro Magania
Languages: English
Countries: France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 5 countries: France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Asia Argento, shot by Eric Alan Edwards. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Morgan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jim Mol shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Asia Argento and Jimmy Bennett and Jeremy Renner carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Behind the greatest hoax of our time is the heartbreaking story that started it all.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Asia Argento directs. Eric Alan Edwards behind the camera. Morgan scores. Jim Mol cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 22 years ago.
3International production across 5 countries: France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Asia Argento, shot by Eric Alan Edwards. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Morgan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jim Mol shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Asia Argento and Jimmy Bennett and Jeremy Renner carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Behind the greatest hoax of our time is the heartbreaking story that started it all.".
9IMDB entry: tt0368774 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "fire", "prostitute", "rape", "dancer".
11Released under 14 different titles around the world.