He Ain’t Heavy review: the must-see Australian film of 2024

How far would you go to save a loved one from addiction? How far is it possible to go? At what point do you throw your hands in the air and walk away?

He Ain’t Heavy is a stunning debut feature by writer-director David Vincent Smith and producer Jess Parker. Based on Smith’s personal experience of his brother’s addiction, it’s a gripping story of a young woman’s desperate attempt to get her violent, meth-addicted brother clean.

Leila George plays the long-suffering Jade, whose own life has been on hold for the duration of her brother’s addiction. Her real-life mother Greta Scacchi plays their forgiving mother, Bev, and Sam Corlett plays the troubled brother and son Max.

George has clearly inherited her mother’s acting chops. She brilliantly captures the complexity of Jade’s relationship with Max – the deep despair at his vile behaviour, the hatred of the person he’s become, the compassion for his suffering and the love born from a deep sibling bond and the memory of the beautiful young man that he once was.

George does not hit one false note. Her powerful performance is grounded in truth. The anguish and trauma she depicts is visceral and will resonate deeply for anyone who has experienced the pain of losing a loved one to addiction. This is a bravura performance that signals the arrival of a significant new acting talent in Australian cinema.

Greta Scacchi is also impressive as the gentle Bev, who continues to love and forgive her son despite his appalling behaviour, and to support her daughter to live her life, despite the horror that threatens to engulf them all.

The real-life bond between Scacchi and George bleeds into the film with a deeply felt sense of tenderness and trust. Scacchi gives a humble but dignified performance of a remarkable woman, who endures where many others would crumble.

He Ain’t Heavy: award-worthy

All three leads deliver award-worthy performances and Sam Corlett’s is a tour de force, combining demonic behaviour (that echoes Jack Nicholson in The Shining) with raw pain and a vulnerable beauty which shines through in the moments we see him drug free, including an incredibly beautiful, tender scene between the two siblings which had this reviewer in tears.

Vincent Smith’s screenplay was developed with screen editor Lynn Vincent McCarthy who previously worked on the powerful Australian films The Nightingale (2018) and Relic (2020). It’s an assured script, crafted with a keen sense of tension and drama.

Impressively, it doesn’t attempt to sugarcoat the story with humour, instead choosing to tell it with a steely-eyed commitment to the truth. There are many humble family moments in the script that combine to tell an epic story of love, transgression, forgiveness and redemption. The climactic scene which begins with a simple candle on a cupcake is utterly heartbreaking.

ScreenHub: Best Australian films still to come in 2024

David Vincent Smith has crafted his film with honesty, empathy and an embodied understanding of the impact of drug addiction on families. He’s drawn remarkable performances from his actors and painted a powerful picture of a loving family torn apart by addiction. It’s a remarkably mature examination of a complex issue by a young filmmaker, who strikes a sensitive balance between the violence and horror of Max’s drug induced behaviour, and the humanity that lies beneath his meth psychosis.

He Aint Heavy is the must-see Australian movie for 2024. Combining killer performances with unflinching storytelling and a big heart, it’s a remarkable, powerful debut with tremendous impact; worthy of awards and international attention.

He Ain’t Heavy is released nationally on 17 October.