PLOT SUMMARY: When Jordan and Leigh get a chance to meet their idol Harper Dutch, they are unaware of the danger they are getting themselves into.
Imagine the person you idolize the most is the one you get to work with. A dream come true, isn't it?
But here's the thing about the celebrities we idolize; we never really know the real them. They could really be as charming as they portray themselves in public, or they could have a hidden side that not many are aware of. That side of them that they keep private could be as good as their public image or not.
In the case of horror movies, the recluse former celebrity, often has sinister intentions.
Torn Hearts is a movie about ambition and the lengths people will go to get what they want.
TORN HEARTS Movie Plot
A brief introduction on Harper and Hope Dutch is given who formed the popular band, The Dutchess Sisters. Following Hope's death, Harper too left the limelight.
Jordan and Leigh have formed a band called Torn Hearts. They are performing at a bar when their manager, and Leigh's boyfriend, Richie introduces them to Caleb, a popular singer.
Leigh and Jordan think they've received an offer to tour with him. Caleb and Jordan hit it off and she stays back to have drinks with him and then make out with him.
After spending a night with him, she wakes up the next morning and snoops around his house. She notices a photo of him with Harper Dutch and gets excited like a kid receiving a basket of candy. She wants to meet her and wants to know everything about Caleb's experience of meeting Harper.
He doesn't appear too thrilled and discourages her from asking further questions but Jordan is persistent and Caleb, probably realizing Jordan won't leave unless he gave her what he wanted, gives her the address.
Besides he does owe her. Turns out Caleb wasn't going to take Torn Hearts on tour with him because it was going to be an all-male tour thing.
Jordan excitedly relays this news to Leigh who is bewildered but also thinks that they need to focus on recordings and the upcoming tour. Jordan doesn't want to disappoint her and so tries to get her excited about an opportunity to sing with Harper Dutch.
Leigh eventually acquiesces and then tells her they need to bring strawberry and rhubarb pie because that is Harper's favorite.
So they get in the car and make the long drive to the outskirts where Harper's secluded mansion is. Leigh has got the pie but not in a box. It sits on her lap the entire journey. There could be bugs flying in through the window or Leigh's spittle getting on it but food and germs are the least things on the duo's mind.
They reach the mansion and find a speaker box. They buzz and buzz and eventually a disgruntled Harper answers. She practically tells them to get lost but Jordan plays with her ego and tells her that they desperately need advice. Apparently to get any elder person interested in talking to you, just tell them you want their advice. That's a sure fire way to get you in the good books with them because elders love to talk and talk as per this movie.
The girls enter and are enchanted by their idol's home even though it is quite untidy.
Harper had been talking on the box but she is seen descending the stairs and being a good host by offering them whiskey. Jordan sips her while Leigh doesn't touch hers. Harper takes it to heart that someone isn't drinking the booze she had offered. She gives her a soda to mix in her drink and Leigh uses her little finger to stir it. Harper watches her intently and is partially amused and partially disgusted by her.
Jordan prattles on about how she didn't want advice after all but wanted Harper to record a song with them.
Harper isn't too pleased at first. She straight away asks which of the two is better. Jordan replies that both of them are. Harper doesn't think so. She has been studying them both and her experience in the field has shown her the musical groups and duos always have friction between them.
When the girls maintain that they are supportive, Harper sort of takes it as a challenge to test them. She purposely calls Leigh pretty in front of Jordan and then calls Jordan the talented one.
The girls are then ushered into a room full of musical instruments. Harper wants to check them out and Jordan wants to play a new song but Leigh wants to be a brown noser and thinks they should play one of the Dutchess' song.
Jordan relents and as they sing and play, Harper is barely amused. It is clear that there is some bad history with her and Hope. Eventually she tells Leigh to shut up and tells them she is ready to collaborate with them. The girls are beyond excited.
Harper insists they stay back and celebrate but Jordan becomes a little wary of her host.
Harper tries to get the girls to fight by insulting Richie and getting Jordan to admit she finds their manager repulsive. Leigh doesn't like Richie either but likes it even less that Jordan is insulting her boyfriend.
Harper wants to know how they met and Jordan tells her how during a showcase, Leigh came in late and started to cry which made Jordan pity her and call her up on stage with her.
Harper snickers at that. She can't believe Jordan shared the stage with Leigh.
She forces the girls to stay and makes a remark about Leigh not appreciating her whiskey and so what is it that she would like to drink. Leigh asks for vodka and Harper gives her the bottle.
Throughout it all, Jordan seems to be feeling nervous but upon Leigh's insistence, stays back and parties.
The girls get super drunk and the next morning wake up in separate bedrooms and wearing a t-shirt announcing the Dutchess sister's tour.
They are unattractive tshirts and Jordan remarks how smelly and musty they are. Leigh doesn't care. She's still jumping about and doesn't want to listen to Jordan talk about ehr suspicions regarding Hope's death or the fact that Harper just thrashed her favorite guitar.
Harper meets them and taunts them for being unable to hold their alcohol. Leigh calls Richie to pick them up and while they wait, Harper demands the girls make her breakfast.
Jordan makes a face at that but Leigh is still jumping around excitedly at trying to impress Harper but then doesn't help. Richie has told her there was going to be no tour with Caleb and when she finds out that Jordan knew, she pouts.
Jordan can't find anything in the kitchen except for some eggs which turns out to be rotten.
Harper comes down for breakfast and is served boiled French beans, mouldy toast and halved candy bar. She takes one look at them and throws the plate at the wall.
The question is what has Harper been eating all this time? And can one survive on just ingesting alcohol alone?
As we learn later, there is no lack in energy in Harper. She an give anyone a run for their money, especially those who eat healthy meals regularly and don't drink alcohol all the time.
Anyway, Harper wants to play around with the two some more. She asks the girls to hit each other. Jordan flat out refuses claiming she would never even dream of hurting her friend. Leigh doesn't mind. She whacks Jordan right across the face. Leigh is still pissed off about Jordan not telling her about the cancelled tour and insulting her boyfriend.
That's all it takes for Jordan to unleash the beast within. She lunges at Leigh and effectively tosses their friendship out the window. The girls go at each other while Harper enjoys the show and smirks. When she gets bored of the repetitive fight moves, she tells them to stop and they obediently freeze in their spots.
Then Richie comes along and Harper tells Jordan to stay in the room while Leigh goes to meet him after changing her clothes.
TORN HEARTS Movie Plot
Jordan comes across a shrine behind the walls and is shocked to see photos of Hope everywhere. Even more shocking are the jars on the shelf that contain various body parts.
Jordan has already seen a jar containing a finger, yet when she picks up a jar and can't see anything, she shakes it and then sees an eyeball and shrieks. There goes the jar and there goes the perfectly preserved eyeball.
Now Jordan knows for sure Harper is a psychopath. She tries to warn Leigh but she refuses to listen. Harper has done well brainwashing her. While the girls are busy arguing, Harper offers Richie some pie and then practically murders the pastry as she cuts a piece. Then she murders Richie.
Things go from worse to bizarre as Harper decides to chase down the girls with a shotgun. Jordan still tries to be a good friend but Leigh is shady and has her eyes on Hope's book of lyrics.
Eventually after a bit of running around, Leigh is given the opportunity to get rid of Harper but instead shoots Jordan.
And then there goes Harper. Leigh is happy to continue on without Jordan and explains everyone needs a good story. Hers is going to be about a survivor and she knows she is going to gain a lot of sympathy. Harper had already guessed that Leigh had faked cry during the showcase to get Jordan to let her perform too.
Jordan knows she is going to die and can barely move.
As Leigh walks out triumphantly with Hope's book, she is suddenly shot. Jordan has not only managed to move but also get up and retrieve a gun to kill her friend. Ex-friend in this case.
Both girls die.
In the end, we see Caleb benefitting from this incident. He uses the story and pretends to be completely heartbroken about Jordan and Leigh's deaths. He even steals the lyrics book and the recording the girls had made as a trial with Harper...Caleb uses it and sings it at a concert.
Turns out that in order to be a star you do need a sob story. No wonder there are plenty of contestants in reality shows who focus more on sob stories than talent.
The movie ends.
Torn Hearts is a fun horror movie, although the plot is a tad cliched. There have been movies about characters meeting their idols before only to learn they are psychopaths. However, Katey Sagal's Harper Dutch injects the freshness to this plot and makes this movie entertaining to watch.
Scare Scale: 3.5/5
Check it out on Amazon Prime Video
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