Reviews
‘Torn Hearts’ Review – Katey Sagal Shines in Brea Grant’s Playfully Unhinged Thriller
Bloody Disgusting’s Torn Hearts review is spoiler-free.
The music genre most often explored in horror is fellow outcast rock ‘n roll or metal, but director Brea Grant makes a strong case for country music’s inclusion in the horror space. Torn Hearts combines country’s frequent themes of love and loss with horror’s twisted pursuit of fame, delivering a mean thriller anchored by one playfully unhinged performance by Katey Sagal.
Jordan (Abby Quinn) and Leigh (Alexxis Lemire) are the Torn Hearts, a talented country duo looking for their big break. According to Leigh’s boyfriend turned Torn Hearts manager (Unsane’s Joshua Leonard), they’re already on their way. But when Jordan gets a hot tip to the legendary and reclusive Harper Dutch’s (Sagal) location, the Torn Hearts skip the studio and head to her mansion, hoping to convince the country music icon to record a song with them. Harper invites the pair inside, vowing to help the aspiring starlets, yet traps them in a twisted series of tests and torment that’ll reveal deceptive motives.
Grant, working from a script by Rachel Koller Croft, maintains a brisk, straightforward pace while submersing viewers into the callous, cutthroat world of the music industry. The music is infectious and well-produced; the Torn Hearts engender rooting interest from their first performance. From there, subtle cues signal that the road to stardom is paved with treachery. They’re surrounded by those that seem well-intentioned but might hide a lecherous nature behind the smiles and platitudes.
Then there’s Harper, a stark contrast to the bubbly newcomers. Harper’s industry savvy means she’s wise to the early pitfalls Jordan and Leigh find themselves discovering. Harper’s experience also means she’s now a profoundly paranoid, heavy drinker with a tragic past. She’s also got an agenda of her own, creating a unique battle of wills. Sagal’s performance as the volatile Harper steals the show; the actor toggles between a benevolent mess and sadistic mastermind with ease. It makes her psychological games with Jordan and Leigh so unsettling while serving as a credible reason why they work harder to flee. Throw in their desperation for success, and it’s a pressure cooker constantly on the cusp of eruption.
While Grant doesn’t push the sadistic games too far until its explosive finale, the warped dynamics between the three leading women keep the momentum going. The more Jordan and Leigh succumb to Harper’s whims, the more the cracks between them reveal that deception is everywhere. Even when the aspiring starlets fall prey to predictable beats in their pursuit of fame, Grant’s dark sense of humor makes it easy to overlook. That it builds to an unpredictable finish, culminating in messaging that hits like a twist of the knife, is also to the film’s credit.
The pursuit of fame isn’t new territory in the genre; horror often highlights the gruesome toll it can take. Grant nestles a familiar conceit within a distinctly different world and dials in on a specific facet of stardom with pitch-black humor and psychological thrills. It’s a straightforward romp elevated by its music, worldbuilding, and a trio of solid leads. However, Sagal runs away with it thanks to a committed and unhinged performance.
Torn Hearts releases On Digital on May 20, 2022.
Movies
‘Breeder’ Review – A Modern Horror Classic That Plays Matchmaker With Eugenics [Tribeca 2026]
The very best horror pulls from real, raw places to reflect upon society through an exaggerated lens. Horror has an even greater potential to provoke when it has something to say about potentially contentious issues, such as eugenics. Alex Goyette’s accomplished feature film debut, Breeder, builds upon the discomfort of this subject in order to tap into something timely, visceral, and darkly funny.
Breeder becomes the tonal and structural hybrid of Barbarian and Misery, but still uniquely its own thing. It’s one of 2026’s best horror surprises.
Goyette’s debut is such an impressive feature film that remains endlessly engaging because of its ability to keep one foot in reality, no matter how extreme the storytelling gets. It builds to a wild complication that actually feels earned because of how it preys upon the protagonist, Russell (Daniel Doheny), and his deep sense of desperation that’s rooted in the world’s grim economic state. Life-changing money makes it a lot easier for red flags to take on a greener hue.
Russell is a brilliant college student who is at the precipice of a game-changing study that has the potential to prevent a rare bee species’ extinction. He just lacks the funding to make this dream a reality. Russell is cautiously optimistic when a particular poodle breeder, Patti (Dot-Marie Jones), who is a fan of Russell’s work, promises to be an angel investor if he can help her with an experiment of her own. It’s a sublime setup for what turns into a consistently surprising take on the perilous pursuit of perfection and a dark, post-modern version of survival of the fittest.
Credit: Jarryl Lim
Breeder is the very best style of slow-burn storytelling that grows more uncomfortable with each act. There are shades of Dogtooth and even Tusk, to some extent, as this extreme ritual that’s against nature takes place in plain sight and becomes normalized. The blunt, matter-of-fact nature of Patti’s actions makes this all the more horrifying. It’s almost as if Breeder applies a dog trainer approach to a hostage situation. The film deconstructs the complex bond between pet and owner, particularly how this relationship can warp and become toxic. There’s a slipping sense of reality that’s absolutely chilling. However, the film uses this confusion to find the humor in this unsettling premise as it balances these two extremes. Breeder’s sense of humor is low-key its secret weapon, and always feels so natural.
The entire cast shines, but this is really a movie that lives and dies on the success of its villain. Dot-Marie Jones is a revelation as Patti. It’s electric every second that she’s on screen, and there’s taut tension from not knowing when the other shoe will drop. She’s played with such chilling, calculating intensity, even when she’s completely normal. Patti is like Misery’s Annie Wilkes mixed with No Country for Old Men’s Anton Chigurh, and it’s absolutely unforgettable.
Alternatively, Russell’s layered character development and the arc that he experiences highlight the pressures that he faces in life over failing to realize his full potential. Breeder makes Russell feel helpless and establishes why this study is so important to him. It’s so easy to have main characters who make a slew of poor decisions and lose sight of themselves so that their karmic retribution almost feels justified and becomes a cathartic release for the audience. Russell never wavers, and he doesn’t read like any other idiot in a horror film who willingly puts themselves in a dangerous situation.
Credit: Jarryl Lim
Most importantly, Goyette makes sure that the audience cares about Russell and that they’re actively rooting for his survival through all this. He’s put through the wringer, but it’s also fascinating to see how this harsh ordeal helps him grow and eliminate what he perceives to be weaknesses. Russell is a fun foil for every character that he shares time with in Breeder. However, there’s especially great chemistry between him and his girlfriend during the film’s first act. It helps establish a necessary baseline before everything falls apart. There’s a sardonic, dry energy to these scenes that’s such a stark counterpoint to the chaos that follows.
Breeder is such an original take on a low-budget “horror contained in a house” story that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It’s a unique story that intentionally avoids taking the easy way out, even if that’s occasionally frustrating. The film’s end, for instance, is likely to split audiences. However, it’s a decision that feels real and organic, rather than some gratuitous pivot that only exists to cause controversy. This strong, earned storytelling is lifted through fantastic performances and confident filmmaking that never fail to rise to the occasion.
It’s an excellent showpiece for Goyette, and it’s genuinely exciting to consider what he’ll do with more at his disposal, but it’s also a standout horror film in a year that’s been stacked with creative offerings. Breeder is headed to Shudder after a limited theatrical release, and it will hopefully find an audience and not get lost in the streaming shuffle. Survival of the fittest and all that.
Breeder made its premiere at Tribeca 2026 and is slated for release this fall.
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