Netflix’s big English-language premiere this Friday is Heartland, a mystery thriller that drops Jessica Chastain into the middle of Music City. The film is streaming worldwide from today, November 13.
Chastain plays Misty Jones, once the biggest name in country music, who walked away from fame and has spent roughly two decades in seclusion. That quiet life ends when her niece Charlie, a rising singer played by real-life country artist Carter Faith, goes missing. Misty heads back to Nashville to find her, and the search leads her past the bright stages and into the city’s shadier corners, where old secrets resurface and almost nobody is who they appear to be.
Shana Feste wrote and directed the film, which runs just under two hours. Garrett Hedlund, Ross Lynch and country star Jennifer Nettles lead the supporting cast, with John Hawkes and Paul Sparks also on board. Think of it as a small-town noir with a guitar case: early impressions describe Misty as a prickly, sharp-tongued former queen of country who is not afraid to throw a punch when the trail goes cold.
Music is a big part of the appeal. Chastain and Faith perform original songs, and the soundtrack is out today as well, so the film doubles as a country album for anyone who wants to keep listening after the credits.
It is also a timely return for Chastain, whose planned Apple TV thriller The Savant was shelved, leaving Heartland as her headline project of the season. For viewers who like a mystery with a strong lead performance and a lot of atmosphere, it looks like the easiest Friday night choice on the platform this week.