This article contains spoiler content.
Heretic is a high-stake intense psychological thriller, where two Mormon girls (Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher) are tormented by the sacrilegious Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) after arriving at his house to inform him about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Grant brings his renowned English charm to the role, and subverts it in a disturbing and provocative performance that is well deserving of praise. The enthusiasm with which he embodies this role is refreshing, as we see him eagerly diving into the next phase of his career. The frustrated and godless Mr. Reed is a multifaceted character whom we, like our protagonists, instinctively trust due to his friendly charm and hospitality.
His quippy pop culture references and Notting Hill call-back smiles are disturbingly at odds within his indignant rants about the faults and hypocrisies in mainstream religion, which shows him to be all the more unpredictable and dangerous. These conversations become an orchestrated psychological cat-and-mouse game he plays with the two well-meaning Mormon girls, Sister Barnes (Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (East). The writer’s directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods do well to veil the true nature of the threat until the climax at the very end of the film.
Barnes and Paxton are endearing, respectable protagonists whom we immediately warm to and root for. The opening scene introduces us to them mid-conversation, debating whether or not Magnum condoms are actually larger than normal condoms. Their naivety lends a light-hearted, comic feeling to an otherwise dire and confounding situation. Paired with Grant’s mercurial malevolence, the three create a tense dynamic that remains tightly wound throughout Heretic.
The attention to detail is striking in every new angle and shot; each scene is vivified by the subtle placement of different trinkets, books and paintings around Mr. Reed’s house. The practical effects make for a very gory scene where someone’s arm is rummaged around in, and the labyrinthine structure of Reed’s horror house makes for a clever metaphor about how the young missionaries navigate through his riddles, with only their faith to guide them.
To some extent the genius of the first two acts is, as is typical in the horror genre, somewhat let down by a third act reveal that doesn’t quite satiate the intellectual thirst of the first two – but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all. Watching Heretic was a great cinema experience, based on a genuinely interesting and thought-provoking conversation around religion and its faults.
With this and The Substance being two of the best horror films to be released this decade (in my opinion), the future of the horror genre is looking promising. It has expanded its horizons to more thought-compelling destinations than the contrived cliches and endless franchises we’ve had to endure these past few years. As a horror fan, I’m excited!
