Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of A Quiet Place, are back with a new vision of horror—missionaries. Together they write and direct Heretic, a horror film about the ghastliness of guests, or the misery of being forced to talk to people, depending on how you look at it.
Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East star as Sister Barnes (Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (East), a pair of young Mormons on their mission, the time in which they proselytize the word of Joseph Smith to total strangers. They are deeply unsuccessful in their endeavor; mean teens pants them in public, at best they are ignored, at worst they are kidnapped into a madman’s maze-house for the world’s worst theology lecture.
Hugh Grant also stars as Mr. Reed, a man whose slightly daffy air is belied by his serial killer glasses and too wide smile. But he is kind to Barnes and Paxton, he is the only person we see treat the young women with dignity, at least for a minute. He welcomes them into his home—which only has one tiny window high on the wall, totally normal—and promises his wife is just in the kitchen, baking blueberry pie. I have never seen a man less married than Mr. Reed, but Barnes and especially Paxton are not worldly women, and though they are nervous to be in his home, they accept his platitudes at face value, and Paxton, especially, is excited to potentially convert someone to Mormonism.
Heretic is stylishly made, particularly the twisty-turny production design by Philip Messina (with set decoration by Hamish Purdy). Mr. Reed’s house has the trappings of charm—an iron gate, a snowy walk, a comfy sofa—but there are odd details, like his elaborate light switch and that one tiny window. Honestly, I have rarely seen a bigger red flag in a horror movie. A house with only one tiny window? No thanks, it’s definitely a murder house. The cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung is also good, which is important as Heretic happens in small rooms, yet the film is never boring to look at. Even an extended sequence in a dank basement is beautifully shot.
But the standout is Hugh Grant, who is having a grand old time chewing scenery as Mr. Reed. The theology and philosophy of Heretic never rises above “religion is a drug”, but Grant infuses reams of pedantic dialogue with such twinkly energy he comes off as an unhinged professor, at least at first. He deftly navigates the tricky mid-film tonal shift as Mr. Reed’s warm welcome turns into something altogether more sinister.
(A scene from Heretic)
Sophie Thatcher is also particularly good as Barnes. She’s not as chipper and committed as Paxton, there are hints of a darker history in her character, and her verbal sparring with Mr. Reed is weighed down with subtext, an entire emotional conversation happening within their exchanges about religion and faith. There is one moment where she calls Mr. Reed on his bullsh-t, and he seems delighted by her, just as a teacher would be by an especially bright student. But the menace and anxiety underpinning their conversations turns every riposte into a battle of wit and will, the tension steadily increasing until the third act turn.
The messaging of Heretic isn’t complicated, but that is the point. Mr. Reed dresses up his brand of evil in the language of faith and scripture, peppered with pop culture references for cool points. It’s the banality of evil masquerading as a deep spiritual journey, Norman Bates made over as a youth pastor. The shallowness of Mr. Reed’s intellectual pursuit can’t be disguised, any more than his inherent creepiness can be, and the first half of the film mines tension from the audience’s increasing unease with Barnes and Paxton being alone with this obviously deranged man.
The second half is a little more typical horror movie stuff, but Grant’s commitment to the bit carries the film through an increasingly cruel, unpleasant finale. The set design also remains vital to the film throughout, with visual clues seeded in the first half of the film coming back later in unexpected ways. Every twist in Heretic is a fresh horror, and it builds so steadily that as bonkers as it is, the finale feels earned. That is largely thanks to Grant, Thatcher, and East, who make for a compelling trio, and though the film largely takes place in three rooms, with just three actors, Heretic feels expansive. As trite as Mr. Reed’s theology is, Heretic effectively frightens just off social awkwardness and the unpleasantness of an overly long visit.
Heretic will play exclusively in theaters from November 8, 2024.
