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Stars: Patrick Fugit, Ingrid Sophie Schram, Owen Campbell, Moises L. Tovar, Judah Bateman, Katie Preston | Written and Directed by Jonathan Cuartas

It will be of no surprise to many that what drew me to this movie is the rather long but very awesome title. I guess many people would see it as a bit self indulgent but for me it conjures up so many thoughts and ideas to what kind of movie it might be and it simply made me want to watch the film. My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To has much more going for it than just a great title though.

It’s a story that I don’t want to go into too much for fear of spoilers but it’s a pretty simple idea in which two siblings are looking after their younger, frail and ill brother. But the things they have...

A recent documentary about caregiving for frail family members was called “It’s Not a Burden,” but that cheerful attitude isn’t shared by the principal figures in “My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To.” They’re adult siblings tethered to a reclusive existence because one of them has a wee abnormality, which demands flesh blood from unfortunate victims the others must scrounge up for him.

Placing more emphasis on dysfunctional domestic drama than thrills, Jonathan Cuartas’ Utah-shot first feature may be too low-key for mainstream horror fans. But the film’s conviction and strong performances should appeal to those who appreciated such prior understated, “realistic” spins on vampire cinema as “The Hamiltons,” George A. Romero’s “Martin,” the original “Let the Right One In,” or more recent “The Transmigration.” Returning to screen at the 2021 Tribeca Fest, “Heart” officially premiered at last year’s severely Covid-compromised edition, and...

"Do you have any idea what we do to get that blood?" Dark Sky Films has debuted an official trailer for an indie horror drama titled My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Jonathan Cuartas. This originally premiered at the Nightstream Film Festival last year, and played at tons of genre fests worldwide including: Sitges, MOTELx, Celluloid Screams, and Strasbourg Fantastic Film Festival. Two mysterious siblings find themselves at odds over care for their frail and sickly younger brother. Who might actually be a vampire? Reviews describe the film as "an unflinching look at the lengths people will go to for family ties... but it's also a story about loneliness, a story which you know is going to collapse in on itself at some point." My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To stars Patrick Fugit, Ingrid Sophie Schram, Owen Campbell,...