A grieving family, a misfit living in the garage

On the surface, "Hesher" is one of those movies with a hard, caustic exterior that unfolds to reveal a mushy sentimental center. But as director Spencer Susser's movie unfolds, the heart reveals itself to be less and less sentimental.

TJ Forney (Devin Brochu) is a teenager in mourning. His mother has just died and his father ("The Office's" Rainn Wilson) is almost catatonic, waking only to gobble down another handful of pills or cast disappointment his son's way. The only thing holding them together is TJ's long-suffering grandmother (Piper Laurie).

While fleeing from a bully, TJ comes across Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a misanthrope who is all greasy hair and hand-drawn tattoos with a permanent sneer that only lifts when he's causing immeasurable damage. That's all we ever really learn about Hesher. He starts as a mystery and intentionally remains one. He moves into TJ's garage without an invitation and ignores the family's inquiries as to why he's there.

Distracting TJ, to a certain extent, is gawky grocery cashier Nicole (Natalie Portman, in oversized glasses and a ponytail that fail to disguise the fact that it's Natalie Portman). She comes to TJ's attention after saving him from another bully attack and his unrequited love is bolstered by Hesher's constant needling about whether he's had sex with her or not.

There's very little plot - most of the movie explores Hesher and TJ's curious relationship.

What pulls the family together is not the calming force of an outsider who shows the Forney family that life is worth living. That's not who Hesher is. He's full-on chaos, so it's his anarchy and the destruction left in its path that eventually unites the family.

Susser, who wrote as well as directed the film, never wavers in making Hesher a wholly unlikable character and Gordon-Levitt more than rises to the challenge. When Hesher sees TJ getting the snot kicked out of him (once again), he doesn't stop to help. Hesher never softens, and neither does Susser who pushes the violence further than the typical Sundance-bound indie movie.