MOVIE SCENE CANADA
HERETIC
​I VVS Films I November 8, 2024 I 110 mins. I
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96%
* As of 11/04/24
Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
TIFF REVIEW BY: Darren Zakus - 11/04/24
RATING 4 out of 5
Heretic features a career best performance from Hugh Grant as he gives one unnerving portrayal of a highly intelligent and persuasive antagonist that will make your skin crawl in a chilling chamber piece thriller that thanks to the ingenious ideas and writing of directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, results in one of the best A24 horror films to date.
Whenever you see advertising for a new A24 horror film, you immediately know that the odds are in your favour that you are going to get a horror film unlike anything you have ever experienced. While the marketing for Heretic lets audiences know the film’s premise and sets expectations of what is going to unfold in the latest film from the writers of A Quiet Place, what actually unfolds is a far more intriguing and rewarding experience that perfectly fits within the A24 brand. There is no question moments that firmly situate Heretic within the horror genre, if audiences feel so inclined to categorize the film, largely thanks to the terrific performance from Hugh Grant who is not only at the peak of his villain era, but of his talents as an actor, and the spellbinding performances of Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as the two young Mormon missionaries trapped in a deadly situation. But it is Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ exploration and deconstruction of faith, the pillars of religion, and control that makes Heretic one of the most intellectually stimulating films of the year.
As teased in the film’s marketing, Heretic follows two young Mormon missionaries who find themselves trapped in the house of a man they are trying to convert to the Mormon faith, but there is so much more at work thanks to the writing of Beck and Woods. Their screenplay is incredibly dialogue heavy as Grant’s Mr. Reed and Thatcher and East’s Sister Barnes and Paxton begin their discussion of Mormonism, which becomes a stimulating meeting of the minds as Mr. Reed begins to inquire about the young women’s faith. While there is no secret where the film is heading, after constant references to Mr. Reed’s unseen wife who is supposedly in the other room cooking blueberry pie and the shot of a blueberry pie candle signalling that these two young women have found themselves in one frightening situation, the direction that Beck and Woods let the screenplay and dialogue naturally evolve creates for an unforgettable watch.
Playing out like a game of 3D chess where Mr. Reed is always one step ahead of Sister Barnes and Paxton, the ideas constantly evolve as Sister Barnes and Paxton begin to understand the true gravity of their situation, while Mr. Reed’s dastardly plan becomes clearer. Sprinkled throughout are some effective jump scares and claustrophobic situations to heighten the audience’s senses and set them on edge as Beck and Scott build towards the grand reveal of their film’s central idea. Smartly, the discussion does not linger upon Mormonism but extends to the greater idea of religion and faith, exploring what it means to have faith and what drives such feelings, allowing Beck and Scott to create something far more meaningful and impactful for the audience than a reductive commentary on Mormonism that would have been far less intriguing and more controversial. While you may start to piece together Beck and Woods’ larger discussion of control and where their thematic discussion is going to end, it never for a second lessens the impact of the delivery of their thesis in the film’s final minutes.
While the story and conversations between the film’s main characters is the driving force of the film, Beck and Woods’ direction enhances their narrative at every turn. With the vast majority of the film taking place in Mr. Reed’s house, the camera angling becomes an important tool to bring the film to life. The simple yet effective set design of Mr. Reed’s house informs the tone of the film as its simplicity and tidiness signals his cunning intellect, while the cinematography starts off with lots of wide shots that slowly constrict as the film progresses to visually represent that dangerous and inescapable situation Sister Barnes and Paxton have found themselves in. It’s mimicked in the film’s lighting and quickening pace of the camera that matches the growing danger within Mr. Reed’s house, while the chilling use of The Hollies’ “The Air That I Breathe” takes on a new meaning as these two young women are trapped in Mr. Reed’s house with dwindling prospects of escape.
But, as masterfully as Beck and Woods have crafted Heretic, none of it would work with one of the year’s best performances from Grant. While Grant catapulted himself to Hollywood royalty with romantic comedies like Notting Hill and Love Actually, he has been distancing himself in recent years from that persona of himself with being a cartoonish villain in films like Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, The Gentlemen and Paddington 2, but you have never seen Grant like this before. Using his warm and comforting charm to lure young Sister Paxton and Barnes into his home under the illusion of safety, Grant uses his charm as a weapon. It is evident that lurking behind that charm and cozy knit sweater is a killer that Grant teases in the film’s first act with his disarming smile, and Grant unleashes it once Sister Paxton and Barnes realize they are locked in. His cunning intellect is paired with an icy indifference to the young girl’s survival as he tests their faith. Reveling in the unchecked madness of his character, not only is Grant giving the defining performance of his villain era that will send chills down your spine, it is unequivocally the greatest performance that Grant has ever delivered over the course of his illustrious career.
With Grant firing on all cylinders, the performances coming from his two young co-stars need to match the intensity he brings to the film, and Thatcher and East do exactly that. Before your eyes, Thatcher and East become Sister Paxton and Barnes, using their lived experience and innate understanding of the Mormon faith, having both been raised Mormon (a coincidence in the casting process that was not something Beck and Woods were searching for), not only do they give excellent performances that cannot be replicated with studying the Mormon religion, but they are the perfect match for Grant’s dominating turn. Both individually and as a pair, there is a strength within Thatcher and East that has the audience grasping on to the slight chance that they may be able to escape Mr. Reed’s deadly maze of a house. With a determination in their faith and each other, the emotional honesty that Thatcher and East bring to their characters makes them worthy adversaries for Grant that not only fully invests the audience in the film and their characters’ survival, but creates one of the most impressive acting trios of the year.
While misleading marketing is disappointing, when a film so cleverly subverts all expectations that the marketing has instilled in viewers and results in a far richer and rewarding cinematic experience, it is always something to be celebrated. And not only do Scott Beck and Bryan Woods do exactly this in Heretic while eliciting outstanding performances from Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, they do so with an expertise that makes for one of the year’s most unforgettable films. From the directorial prowess of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods to their riveting exploration of faith, religion and control, Heretic becomes a masterfully crafted and thrilling chamber piece that cements itself as one of A24’s most thought provoking and best films to date thanks to the sensational career best performance from Hugh Grant.