It may come across as a light-hearted movie… unless you’re a father, especially a single father. The daughter-dad relationship that Nick Offerman’s character manages to pull off is one that many of us can only dream off. It’s a lesson in deep-love parenting and sacrifice, while remaining upbeat and true to your heart and your passion. Makes the top 10 of movies to watch when you’re having a bad day as a father.

I absolutely loved it. Very heartwarming and enjoyed the music.

You need to like or at least relate to characters in the movie - did not happen for me. Music was dull uninspired & just droned on - nothing for me here.

It's a loaded cost and a great yarn. Offerman continues to amaze for his range. As a craftsman I appreciate his woodworking skill but to see that added to all the things he can do in entertainment is mind boggling. A true renaissance man.

This is a beautiful father-daughter movie with good music.

The cast of this film was great! Nick and Kiersey were perfect in their roles. The primary plot with the dad and daughter is solid. From there it gets muddy. Why is this girl, who is heading off to college, so angry? They didn't share any motivation but instead wrote her as a petulant teen you'd expect entering adolescence, not at 18. She struggles to even tell her dad the song he edited was good, another song he wrote was good, anything. The "love story" aspects were all failures. Kiersey and her girlfriend have absolutely no chemistry and their story doesn't further the main story in any way. Similarly the weird attempt to hook Nick's character into Toni's was another waste. It just makes his character look pathetic and more sad. So, Nick's character has decided to close his record store after 17 years. He has lots of regrets about not having made it in music, about his career choice... His daughter grinds home every one of those regrets when the chance comes. In the end she leaves but we don't get to see it, suddenly she is auditioning though she didn't want anything to do with it a few scenes ago, Dad is stuck in a dead end bar job after making the irrational decision to liquidate all of his records in one day though there was no pressure to leave the site, and nobody's love interests panning out. What was the grandma story line about? What did she do? Where'd she end up? It was one wasted story line after another. It's sad, it's depressing and I don't need to see it again.

Hearts are definitely in the right place but it’s just too cheesy

This is a generally enjoyable watch. Its a bit cliched perhaps but its not too bad. I enjoyed the music played. Its a bit of a role reversal type watch as the child seems to have her head screwed on moreso than the dad but he means well. Its not an especially memorable film but its not bad either, so I'll give it a 3 star rating overall. The music is enjoyable and I felt nick Offerman did ok playing the father figure but its not the kind of film that leaps out to me as an 'I must own this' purchase.

I really enjoyed this one as the storyline was great on its own but the music with Kiersey & Nick makes it so much better and wishing there was more. I hope that there is a sequel so they can finish the storyline for all the characters.

Solid story, well acted, shot, and told.

Unfortunately, I found the film pretty forgettable. It didn’t elicit the emotion I hoped it would. The premise was set up so nicely. I wish the music was better too. It’s clear that Offerman offered his best, but the rest of the plot was oddly paced and didn’t come together. Not bad, just forgettable. Should have been better

My absolute favourite film of all time, it makes me cry, it makes me very happy, I love it so much

This had such a good cast but the script was meh

May be pitifully sad yet understandably meaningful, this genuinely feel-good film delights with impeccable casting mainly Offerman and Clemons' father-daughter chemistry and talented singing that sweetly uplifts. (B+)

Plot is bland and predictable. The characters are boring and uninteresting. For a musical focused story, the songs are pretty atrocious. I understand people might feel connected and moved by the subject of their kids leaving to college, but this tale is pretty weak.

Hearts Beat Loud is nearly always an inch away from being overly adorable, but it somehow manages to stay within the boundaries of genuine feel-good territory for the entirety of its run time. The father-daughter relationship and dynamic is touching and is most often sold by Nick Offerman's quiet, but real, performance.

Reviewed 1.18.21 At times it's a charming and heart-warming tale of a father and daughter that stumble upon a potential indie music career. As a result, they both must consider what it is that defines them personally, and how to recapture their bond as they enter different phases of their lives. The story loses steam in its final third, but there's enough here for fans of indie music and coming-of-age stories. Ted Danson adds some lighthearted fun in a supporting role, and musician Keegan DeWitt does a serviceable job providing original tunes for the film. But it just doesn't handle the subject matter in a substantial enough manner to recommend it.

Heart Beats Loud, an American film directed by Brett Haley portrays the life of Frank, played by actor Nick Offerman, a father who owns a record store that is on the verge of closing at the beginning of the movie. Frank has a daughter named Sam, played by actor Kiersey Clemons, she is studying to become a doctor, and is about to go to college. The film heavily hints at a musical background between Frank and Sam, playing together since she was a kid, and both loving music. One night, at the beginning of the film, Frank convinces Sam to play some music with him and to stop studying for college. The pair play for a while and Frank looks through some of Sam's songbooks, where he finds a song he'd like to play and work on. They work for a while and then come up with a final recording. Frank plays guitar while Sam sings and plays the synthesizer. The next morning Frank is at a coffee shop and he hears the song over the sound system. The song had become a hit on Spotify. He tells Sam when she comes back to their home, and she is not excited. Frank wants to finally start their dream band, Sam does not. At the end of the film, Frank is forced to close his record store. The duo decides to play live music on the last day of the store sell out. They blow the crowd away with amazing songs and music. The movie ends without telling what happened next, if Sam went to college, or if she continued in the band, the rest is left up to the viewer's imagination. The film also weaves in other subplots and a relationship between Frank and his landlord, a relationship between Sam and her girlfriend. The movie is well written and produced. Every scene has a memorable meaning and feel. The actors always seem to know what they are doing and why and work in perfect conjunction with the camera moves and sound changes, hinting at a well-developed screenplay. The dialogue is very realistic, most of it is between the father and daughter, but the other dialogue in the film also feels very genuine and believable. The characters are very believable, in part because they are set in the present day, act very well, and have relationships and personalities that are believable, and that most viewers have seen somewhere in their own lives. The characters also show flaws in personality throughout the movie which also really helps the film seem realistic because, in the real world, nobody is perfect. The film portrays a great, heartfelt story that can be remembered and thought about once the movie has ended. Many might even find the film relatable, the struggle of college, preparing to pay for college, young love and old love. The writing was somewhat predictable, and some people may not like this but I think that what makes the story so believable and close to home. The camera work used in the movie is wonderful. Great lighting in the day and at night fills the screen with rich tasteful colors and a depth of scene that almost begs the viewer into it. The movie did not seem to have any favorite camera shots, most of the shots were interior. Because many of the shots were interior there were a lot of close-ups, cutaways and medium shots used. When there were outside scenes wide shots were used. The movie also had a great sound, a needed factor for a movie filled with musical instruments and delicate speaking. The camera work made the viewer feel inside the scene as opposed to an outsider looking in, it made the viewer feel as if they were right alongside the main characters. Many smooth, slow pans and tilts, no fast-moving or shaky hand-held camera work. The movie comes through as smooth and well filmed. The editing of the film was a normal experience. The editing did nothing special in particular but portrayed the film understandably and smoothly. There were no issues in the editing of the movie, nothing seemed out of place, the story was easy to follow and there were no overwhelming effects or transitions. Each cut in the film seemed to be meticulously placed so that the watcher would barely be able to notice it, and that they would just continue to interpret the film. The editing allowed for time for the viewer to adjust to new scenes, places, and times through the use of ambient noise and scenery before the action of the scene started. All of this contributed to the film having a good flow, and understandable story, and a great message.

Frank Fisher runs an honest-to-goodness record store in relatively modern day Brooklyn, and it's about to go under. He's worried, mostly because his daughter Sam is about to go to UCLA for med school, and helping her pay for that is a top priority. He also has a mother with dementia who keeps wandering off and getting arrested. How will all this be resolved? Well, this movie is really not all that interested in these things. Frank (Nick Offerman) also PLAYS music, and was once in a band with Sam's (Kiersey Clemons) mother. A mother killed a lot of years ago in a cycling accident. Sam also plays some music, and although she's very studious and very into being a doctor, she still indulges her father with occasional "jam sessions." One night, she brings a song she's started writing to one of these sessions. This results in the song "Hearts Beat Loud" to be recorded and Frank uploads it to Spotify, where is makes a modest splash. He's excited about forming a real band with his daughter and seeing what they can make of a musical partnership. She's interested in being a doctor and in spending time with her new girlfriend Rose (Sasha Lane). THIS conflict is the real meat of the story, and even that is truly overcome by the music. Clemons and Offerman (who knew!) actually perform in this film, and the music they "create" (the songs were written by others) and play together is what makes the movie a charmer. First of all, Offerman is totally convincing as a slightly grump guy who loves music and loves his daughter, and when he gets to combine the two, his sheer delight is transporting. Offerman practically glows, and having enjoyed his flat, grumpy persona for so many years, seeing him expand on that is a joy. This movie is his show, really. Clemons is refreshingly unaffected in her performance, and it's great to see a father/daughter relationship that shows the pair fighting (at times) but not once feeling that the underlying love and commitment is at risk. But while Clemons is quite charming, in my opinion as a middle aged white male, Offerman's performance is the revelation. Others will feel differently...but I think either way would make the film fun. Just watching these two play together and create songs together is really quite lovely. The rest of the "drama" of the film is quite secondary, although the plot points DO need be resolved, and some are resolved more convincingly than others. The stuff with Offerman's mom (Blythe Danner) really barely registers, except that we see it as yet another pressure on HIM. His relationship with his land lady (Toni Collette, always a welcome presence) waffles between romance and friendship, and will sweet, is not gripping. Offerman does have some nice scenes with his local bartender (Ted Danson...who enlivens almost every effort he's in these days). On the other side, Sam's relationship with Rose isn't terribly gripping either. They are facing the idea that Sam's move to the other coast will doom their relationship, but we have virtually no emotional investment in them as a couple. SO, in the end, the joys of this movie are simple and light. Watching two charming performers enjoying playing music together and enjoying the TIME spent making music together. It's a delightful and heartening father/daughter relationship. I suppose if there are any revelations beyond "music can be transporting" would be the notion that "fathers and daughters can love each other with ease, despite any dramas that arise." It's nice to see played out and makes the whole film seem cozy. And I really, really enjoyed this lived-in performance from Offerman. The "plot" and the resolutions of the various conflicts are secondary and never feel terribly important. Some are resolved in a satisfactory way and others are virtually forgotten. It matters because it makes this movie feel somewhat incomplete as a story. But I still recommend going on this journey with these two characters.

Hearts Beat Loud was perhaps the most pretentious and heavy handed movies I've ever seen. The writing is essentially desperate trope after desperate trope hoping to appeal to "hip" millennial sensibilities. By 20 minutes into the movie I knew what I was dealing with, but watched through to the end out of macabre curiosity. Truly an awful movie.