A24 Invites You to the Most Diabolical Conversation on Religion with Heretic (FANTASTIC)
Title: Heretic
First Non-Festival Release: November 1, 2024 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Writer: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Runtime: 110 Minutes
Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2024.
With over ten thousand religions in recorded history, not to mention those that have been lost to time or obscurity, it can be hard to determine what is the “true” faith. Followers of each religion make the claim that their path is the right one and all others are blasphemous. What happens when pressure is applied to their system of beliefs to deconstruct the hypocrisies and contradictions?
That is the goal of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), a seemingly harmless man living alone in Boulder, Colorado when two Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) pay him a visit. Their goal is to have a conversation with Mr. Reed on his apparent interest in their religion, while his motivations are much more sinister. Trapped in his inescapable home and forced to play a sick game to demonstrate their faith, the missionaries must find a way to outsmart their captor.
A psychological mind trip, Heretic is a harrowing examination of faith that emphasizes the existential over the visceral.
The horrors of awkward conversation ignite into something more sinister when Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton realize that their attempts at proselytizing are being countered. From here, Heretic weaves its web of anxiety through the increasing hostility of the dialogue between the host and his captives. As Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton are pushed further into Mr. Reed’s home, the crushing weight of their situation closes in. He doesn’t have to do much to command their attention and provoke their next actions. They’re trapped, they don’t know what will happen next, and their undetermined fate drives the terror.
Mr. Reed serves as the stand in for any holier than thou atheist/agnostic who seeks to prove superiority rather than engage in good faith criticism of organized religion. Throughout his interrogation of Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, he continues with a smugness that easily makes him irritating to the average person. As the trio fall into familiar and new arguments, Mr. Reed’s giddiness at trapping the missionaries in logical fallacies or stale talking points serves to highlight his ego rather than elevate his points. This makes him more dangerous, as his only goal is to be right, not to genuinely learn and grow from a conversation about faith. Hugh Grant imbues just enough false earnestness and confidence to show just how unhinged Mr. Reed can be. Without Grant, Mr. Reed could have easily been a half-rate villain.
An unexpected and sweet subversion comes in the form of Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes as worthy adversaries to Mr. Reed’s twisted thought experiment. Oftentimes, people of faith are treated either as sources of ire or comedy in horror films, so it is refreshing to see both Paxton and Barnes as intellectual equals to Mr. Reed, not only as Mormon missionaries but young women. Without inherently promoting Mormonism itself, Heretic allows its protagonists to stand their ground and fight back without becoming the butt of the joke. Sister Barnes is more well-versed of the two, but Sister Paxton believes more in what they do. Sophie Thatcher leans into an older sister role, often thinking of ways to get the two out, while Sister Barnes tries to play the game while seeking cracks in her own faith form. The sweetest part of Heretic is that the story doesn’t end here, and the missionaries get developed in ways that are not expected.
The most impressive aspect of Heretic lies in its ability to thread the needle on the difficult questions of faith and disbelief it poses. Religion is among the few topics that can spark outrage in any gathering, making it taboo to discuss in polite conversation. Heretic manages to frame its examination of faith in a way that demonstrates empathy for those who believe and those who don’t. Religion isn’t the enemy in Heretic, but its use of control over people, specific people, but to say more would venture into spoiler territory. What’s more, the back and forth between Mr. Reed and the missionaries brings forth many ideas, opting for dense critiques rather than smarmy platitudes that would be evident in less polished writing.
Claustrophobic, tense, and altogether harrowing, Heretic commands attention with its immaculate sense of geography. With most of the film taking place in a decently secluded house in a Colorado suburb, Heretic keeps its pace energetic by constantly pushing the duo further into Mr. Reed’s property. Deceptive from the outside, the sprawling interior extends deeper than one would expect but never feels gratuitous. Much like the story, the deeper the women are pushed into the dwelling, the more terrifying it becomes. Each room has a personality and implication that things will only get worse for the missionaries.
This gradual escalation in design mirrors the central thesis of horror lurking at the depths of any and all belief systems. The deeper you dig, the more awful the truth gets.
An examination of faith and control that will leave you questioning everything, Heretic is well worth your attention in its unique approach to terror. Excellent performances, captivating dialogue, and a unique mystery help make Heretic one of the best horror films of the year. For squeamish genre fans or casual moviegoers averse to gore, Heretic offers an accessible yet equally exciting gateway into terror while never shying away from what makes its brand of psychological horror so special. You don’t have to believe in much to know that Heretic is a must-watch.
Overall Score? 9/10
