Heartless

Jamie Morgan is a lonely, troubled photographer whose half-heart birthmark marks him as an outsider. While developing a shoot, he notices a disturbing face peering from a house window and follows a suspicious man into a circle of hooded vandals. He glimpses a demonic lizard-faced figure under a hood, foreshadowing the horror to come.

News spreads of a string of Molotov cocktail murders terrorizing the area. A young Asian girl appears on TV claiming the attackers wore no masks and that the demonic faces were real. A.J., Jamie's neighbor and newfound friend, arrives with claw-like wounds, and soon parts of his dismembered body begin turning up nearby.

Jamie and his mother are ambushed by the demonic gang while walking home. His mother is immolated, and Jamie is savagely beaten and left for dead. While unconscious in hospital, he dreams of a mysterious man who promises to help him, hinting at the bargains to come.

Jamie is drawn to Papa B's apartment, where the enigmatic figure offers a Faustian bargain: remove his birthmark in exchange for causing chaos through vandalism. Papa B admits to orchestrating Jamie's mother's death to lure him, and vows to guide him toward the ritual. Jamie agrees and is instructed to immolate himself to be reborn.

Jamie survives the ritual and peels away the burned skin to reveal unblemished, perfect skin. The transformation brings a jolt of confidence and a renewed sense of possibility. He steps into the world with a new look, though shadows of the bargain linger.

Jamie meets Tia, an aspiring model, and their chemistry grows as they spend a day together in the park. He reconnects with the memory of his late father, who first taught him to use a camera. The encounter marks his first real spark of normal happiness since the birthmark ordeal.

The Weapons Man arrives and Papa B reneges on their deal, forcing Jamie to kill as proof of his commitment. Jamie is tortured until he agrees to murder a street hustler, renewing his hope for a better life even as the bargain tightens its grip. The city becomes their stage as the line between salvation and coercion blurs.

Belle comes to live with Jamie after Papa B beats her, offering warmth and practical guidance. She begins calling Jamie 'Dad' and helps him navigate his coercion, insisting that he has no choice but to kill to stay alive. Her presence deepens Jamie's reliance on the bargain and her pragmatic warnings intensify the pressure.

Tia asks Jamie to hide a photo album in his work safe, revealing that she and Lee intended to steal his late mother's jewelry. The plan spirals out of control when Tia is accidentally shot during the struggle, and Lee is wounded by She, the gang leader with a metallic claw. The betrayal deepens Jamie's fear and pushes him toward the looming confrontation.

Jamie is pursued by She and fights back, ultimately killing him. He then notices a mark on a wall from She's claw that resembles A.J.'s earlier wound, linking the violence. He warns Belle to flee, realizing the danger has not ended.

Facing Papa B and his minions, Jamie battles a larger demon that reveals Papa B in his true form. He drives back the minions, but the encounter raises questions about what is real. Viewers are left to wonder whether Papa B cheated Jamie by never removing the birthmark or if much of what happened was born from Jamie's own mind.

After waking indoors, Jamie wanders outside and sees sacks-like masks rather than the demon visions. He seems to talk with Belle as if she is present, but she appears as empty space, blurring the line between reality and imagination. The film leaves it unclear whether the demons were real or a product of his mind.

Jamie is caught by a gang member and burned with a Molotov during the final confrontation. He experiences a vision of his father, who tells him that you can only see the stars in the blackness of the night. The final image fades into a field of stars as Jamie ascends toward an unknown afterlife.