Heretic is an intense story of examining religious beliefs under duress. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this role, they visit with people potentially interested in joining their faith. This leads them to take a meeting with the reclusive Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). Upon arrival, Mr. Reed is courteous, affable, and seemingly open to the idea of conversion. However, as the two young women continue to engage with him, they begin to sense something is off. As the conversation progresses, it morphs into a more aggressive and contentious debate. Feeling uncomfortable, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton attempt to remove themselves from the situation.
What works in Heretic is the taut script and a fantastic performance by Grant. The directing and writing team of Scott Peck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place) prove they are masters of tension. Every meticulously crafted detail—from the fixtures in Mr. Reed’s living room, to Grant’s speech cadence—contributes directly to the mood. The energy is a wonderful mix of unsettling and fascination. It hooks the audience immediately and never lets go. At the heart of this is Grant’s incredible turn as Mr. Reed. His typical charisma is at full blast, but with just the right amount of disturbance which is tough to categorize. Is it awkwardness, or something more sinister? And finally, the academic chess game the characters engage in over organized religious is incredibly thought-provoking.
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Audiences adverse to horror films, or forceful challenges to faith, should probably avoid Heretic. While the interactions are initially cordial and intellectual, they quickly devolve. The dialogue becomes more and more unsettling, to say nothing of the escalating panic the young women begin to feel. East and Thatcher do an excellent job of evoking the audience’s sympathy. They ask the right questions; they attempt the normal/logical/polite avenues of extricating themselves. That only makes watching their plight more painful. Finally, Heretic eventually becomes a gory affair. People squeamish about graphic violence should be warned of some fairly grotesque sequences.
Heretic is a heart-pounding thriller. Thanks to the intentionality of the writing and direction, Heretic will have audiences on the edges of their seats. Grant’s performance alone is a reason to check this out. Highly recommended for psychological horror fans.
Recommended if you enjoyed: The Silence of the Lambs, Prisoners
Heretic is now available on most streaming platforms.
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