What would occur if any of Hugh Grant’s famed rom-com characters — assume William from Notting Hill or the prime minister from Love Really — trapped you in a home of horrors? That is not too far off from what you may get in Heretic, the newest horror providing from writer-director duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, 65).
Sure, Grant has leaned additional into villain archetypes up to now few years, from Paddington 2‘s egotistical Phoenix Buchanan to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves‘ roguish Forge. However no movie has weaponized his skills to as scary an extent as Heretic. Right here, you may witness Grant each as you have by no means seen him earlier than (downright terrifying!) and precisely as you have seen him earlier than (charming with a aspect of self-deprecation). The mixture is downright bone-chilling, with Grant’s efficiency offering nonstop terror whilst Heretic‘s theological frights stay pretty floor stage.
What’s Heretic about?
Hugh Grant in “Heretic.”
Credit score: A24
Grant performs Mr. Reed, a seemingly pleasant man who opens his door to Mormon missionaries Sister Paxton (The Fabelmans‘ Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Yellowjackets‘ Sophie Thatcher). The pair have already had a tough day of lugging their bikes up and down steep stairs, getting made enjoyable of by native teenage women, and weathering the beginnings of a gnarly rainstorm. In spite of everything that, Mr. Reed’s real curiosity within the Mormon Church is simply the pick-me-up they want. And whereas mission guidelines forbid them from being alone with him with no lady current, he insists that his shy spouse is simply within the kitchen whipping up a fabulous blueberry pie. That is all of the affirmation Paxton and Barnes must enter his house and begin instructing him about their religion.
As soon as inside, although, the pink flags begin piling up. Seems Mr. Reed is aware of fairly a bit about Mormonism. Look no additional than his closely marked-up copy of the E book of Mormon. (“More like Mr. Read,” Paxton jokes, determined to land her first baptism.) Then there are his pointed probes about Mormon founder Joseph Smith and polygamy. At first look, these may simply be mistaken for run-of-the-mill non secular skepticism. However when coupled with private questions in regards to the dying of Barnes’ father, it is clear one thing extra sinister is afoot. From right here, all Heretic wants is one push — on this case, the reveal that “Mrs. Reed” is nothing greater than a blueberry-scented lie — to ship Paxton and Barnes hurtling into hell.
“Hell” in fact being the again part of Mr. Reed’s home, which features a chapel he constructed himself, in addition to two staircases — one marked “belief,” the opposite “disbelief” — main down into the darkness. These staircases turn out to be the focus for a spiritual battle of wits, as Mr. Reed exams the Sisters’ religion to its restrict.
Heretic‘s non secular horror isn’t the scariest factor about it.
Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher in “Heretic.”
Credit score: A24
Most of this battle of wits performs out in dialog, with Heretic shortly cementing itself because the chattiest horror film of the 12 months. (Whereas introducing Heretic at this 12 months’s Implausible Fest, Beck and Woods mentioned they created it because the inverse to A Quiet Place, which created scares with none dialogue.) As Mr. Reed lures Paxton and Barnes deeper into his net, every conversational flip and slicing query turn out to be trigger for an increasing number of dread. But that is much less as a result of precise content material of the conversations, and extra about Beck and Woods’ claustrophobic route of this three-hander. Tight close-ups on Mr. Reed, Paxton, and Barnes’ faces maintain us locked into their dialogue, whereas the single-location setting reminds us that there isn’t any escape.
Ostensibly, the theological debate that this trio engages in is supposed to be the meat of Heretic‘s horror, as Paxton and Barnes reckon with their relationship to God in a time of disaster. However the movie’s non secular discourse is usually skin-deep — albeit enjoyable.
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Take, for instance, a show-stopping monologue from Grant, delivered like a sermon from his personal pulpit, in regards to the iterative connections between every little thing from faith to Monopoly to Lana Del Rey. (A Jar Jar Binks impression makes its method in there too, and Grant makes a pleasant meal of it, as he does with every little thing else within the movie.) The precise messaging about faith being nothing greater than an elaborate advertising farce is not notably groundbreaking — you could possibly simply as simply discover these concepts on any atheist message board. It is the best way Grant delivers it, with all of the panache of a smarmy debate bro, that actually units your enamel on edge.
That is as a result of Heretic mines its best scares not from its questions on faith, however from the age-old reality that it is simply actually terrifying to be a lady alone with an odd man. Particularly when that unusual man combines the mannerisms of rom-com Hugh Grant with the trap-loving sensibilities of Noticed‘s John Kramer.
Hugh Grant in Heretic is a number of the finest horror casting in latest reminiscence.
Hugh Grant in “Heretic.”
Credit score: A24
The foundation of Heretic‘s true horror begins with Grant’s efficiency. Right here, the actor is absolutely in what’d we take into account to be his rom-com mode, using the methods he makes use of in his romantic roles. Mr. Reed is all affable grins and shrugs, politely tripping over his phrases, then mugging apologetically when he mixes up names or asks an uncomfortable query. He appears virtually sorry to be asking Barnes and Paxton to move into his creepy basement, when in actuality he is in complete management.
That realizing lack of acknowledgment of his management carries over into Beck and Woods’ script. Whereas a few of Heretic‘s non secular musings can really feel overwritten, Mr. Reed’s social manipulation of the Sisters is spot-on. He claims, time and time once more, that he is not pressuring them — by no means thoughts the truth that he is locked them in his home. He accuses Barnes and Paxton of getting too worked-up, discounting their very legitimate fears about him. Who can keep calm when a person is, as soon as once more, coercing them into his basement?
East and Thatcher play Paxton and Barnes’ reactions completely, with the pair making an attempt to defuse the scenario with out upsetting Mr. Reed. Their discomfort comes by way of at first in small methods. Thatcher’s firmer Barnes refuses a drink from Mr. Reed, whereas East’s candy, extra uncertain Paxton responds to most of his questions by way of awkward giggles. However because the cracks in Mr. Reed’s façade start to point out, the panic turns into ever clearer on the Sisters’ faces, whilst they attempt to stay well mannered. Repeated questions to satisfy Mrs. Reed turn out to be shorthand for terror. Paxton and Barnes invent excuses to attempt to extricate themselves. Later, they boring down their intelligence and beliefs in an try and attraction to what they assume Mr. Reed desires from them — Paxton even thanks him as she begins her descent downstairs. It is a stomach-churning, but all-too relatable second of panicked nicety in a movie stuffed with them. How do you push away a person who will not will let you take away your self from his neighborhood? A person who desires to make use of his non secular beliefs to manage and mould you to his will — once more, sound acquainted?
These scenes of Paxton and Barnes diminishing themselves make the moments once they combat again all of the sweeter. They select to satisfy Mr. Reed on his personal mental turf, difficult him on his clearly well-rehearsed factors. And whether or not or not you agree with Mr. Reed’s non secular beliefs or the Sisters’, every rebuttal of theirs hits arduous by advantage of them going through down their captor.
Heretic‘s dialogue — regardless of how highschool debate-y it threatens to get — is delivered with such malevolent enjoyable by Grant and such ferocity by East and Thatcher that by the point the movie falls into extra conventional slasher mode, it is a disgrace to half with these conversations. Horrifying reveals and boatloads of non secular and occult iconography (a lot of it delivered in impressively crafted statues and pictures all through Mr. Reed’s home) definitely get the blood pumping. However they’re one thing you could possibly see in any non secular horror film. What actually units Heretic aside is Grant, absolutely the monster of a person he performs, and simply how awfully acquainted that man is.
Heretic is now streaming on Max.
UPDATE: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:15 p.m. EST This overview was first revealed on Nov. 8, 2024. It has been up to date to mirror streaming choices.
