Haunted Heart” is a 2024 romantic thriller directed by Fernando Trueba, featuring Matt Dillon and Aida Folch in leading roles.
Synopsis
The movie is set against a beautiful Greek Island backdrop and stars Alex, a beautiful and dynamic Spanish girl who takes up a job at a beach-side small restaurant. She develops feelings for Max, who is the manager and an American with a shrouded past. As they get closer, strange revealing facts regarding Max begin surfacing which puts Alex on a treacherous path in which she is forced to use love as her weapon.
Cast & Crew
- Director: Fernando Trueba
- Writers: Fernando Trueba, Rylend Grant
- Cast:
- Matt Dillon as Max
- Aida Folch as Alex
- Juan Pablo Urrego as Chico
- Kika Georgiou as Ilya
- Polydoros Vogiatzis as Dimitri
Production Details
The movie was filmed in Trikeri, a remote village in Mount Pelion Greece and in this way captured the beautiful sceneries of the region.
Greek Reporter Trueba has ventured into the pages of the novels of Patricia Highsmith as well as the films of Alfred Hitchcock aiming at the production of a tale that revolves in what she called ‘romantic suspense’.
Critical Reception
“Haunted Heart” has received mixed reviews:
- ScreenDaily: Described the film as “always watchable but very conventional, never providing anything new or unexpected.” Screen Daily
- The Guardian: Rated it 2 out of 5 stars, noting that Trueba “gets most of the ingredients right… but flubs the execution, leaving his cast floundering.”
- Cinemanía: Awarded 3½ stars, commenting that “it is Aida Folch who holds everything together.”
Cultural Significance
Dedicated to the classic noir cinema, “Haunted Heart” also combines elements of romance and suspense with gorgeous views of a Greek island. The characters and their occult pasts which the film analyses resonate with Trueba’s regard for Highsmith and Hitchcock – a modern interpretation of age-old struggles with love and concealment.
Personal Insights
The film’s landscapes seem perfect and it’s clear the potential of the film could be harnessed more, but as some critics say, it goes underutilized. These two have great chemistry,” said Dillon of the expectations. “But I think the predictability of the storyline was a little diminishing.” Still, there is enough in “Haunted Heart” for the viewers who enjoy romantic thrillers set in beautiful locations to be entertained.
