Deep in the Heart (1984): Tony Garnett’s Lost Film Rediscovered - The 80s Movie Podcast

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens takes a look at one of the most difficult and overlooked films of the early 1980s: Deep in the Heart (released in the UK as Handgun), a 1983 vigilante drama directed by British filmmaker Tony Garnett. Set in Texas, the film follows Kathleen Sullivan, a teacher who relocates from Boston and is violently assaulted by a local lawyer, leading her to confront both the failures of the justice system and her own transformation through firearms training and self-defense.

The film stands out in early 80s cinema for its unflinching approach to gun culture in America, blending social commentary with the structure of a revenge thriller in a way that sparked controversy and limited distribution. Despite strong critical discussion of its themes, Handgun quickly faded from mainstream awareness and became a rarely-seen title for decades.

Edward explores the film’s production history, its British-American perspective on American gun ownership, and how Tony Garnett used the revenge genre to critique (not glorify) violence, setting it apart from more exploitative entries in the same era of cinema.

Part of our Produced and Abandoned series.