Heretic Review

Heretic is a new philosophical and psychological thriller where two sister missionaries from the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints find themselves in a battle of wits against a charming
but dangerous Mr. Reed.

Sisters Paxon (Chloe East) and Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) are two young, ambitious missionaries
who are traveling through a small town, greeting people that aren’t excited to talk to them, and
are struggling to make eye contact with anyone, let alone make a conversion. As the day is
coming to an end, and a storm is starting to settle in, the women arrive on the doorstep of Mr.
Reed (Hugh Grant) at his home in the remote hills outside of the city. The older gentleman
invites them into his home with a charming smile, a friendly chuckle, and a genuine interest and
curiosity into the women and their message. The young woman are excited to meet a friendly
face and someone willing to discuss their church over the promise of blueberry pie, but soon
begin to realize that things are not what they seem. Before long, they understand that Mr. Reed
has a deep knowledge of Mormon history and theology, and challenges their beliefs using
examples of Monopoly, Star Wars: Episode One, and the Hollies’ The Air That I Breathe. They
soon understand that they are no longer guests of Mr. Reed, but they are now part of a
diabolical test of their faith, and they may not make it out alive.

Heretic is an intelligent and philosophical film with suspense and dread and is not a
thriller/slasher film that some audiences may be expecting. If you go into the film expecting
Saw where two Mormons must solve intricate puzzles that threaten to end in gory deaths,
you’ll be disappointed. This is a film that subverts the subgenre of religious horror, where
typically the secular world is under attack from demons and spirits unseen and the religious
individual must stand firm in their beliefs to survive. Here the sister missionaries are being
threatened by a rationalist who has turned his disbelief into a new type of fundamentalism.
Long conversations about religion and belief could make the movie feel like a college course,
but because of the sharp direction from Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and razor-sharp acting
from the three main leads, the film is never boring or dull. Thatcher and East were both raised
in the LDS faith and bring an air of authenticity that extends beyond a simple Wiki search before
cameras rolled. Neither woman is portrayed as foolish or weak, even if one is more sheltered
than the other. Both women are smart, observant, and the film is smart by not talking down
their religious beliefs, gender, or youth.

The interactions and conversations between the cast carries much of the film and it feels like
this could also have been an incredible stage play where the horror comes from what is said
and what remains unsaid, instead of heavy gore and jump scares. Beck and Woods previously
wrote the screenplay to A Quiet Place and their ability to derive terror from dialogue is once
again on display.

Hugh Grant gives a career defining performance with his unrivaled charisma and creates a
character who masks his devious desires behind a sideways smile, emanating sincerity when we
know he’s got much darker intentions is a powerful skill that add layers to a fascinating
character that keeps audiences glued into what is coming next. He’s mesmerizing here and he’s
the linchpin that makes the whole film work.

Heretic is a film about religion, about faith, about belief and doubt, innocence and pragmatism,
doctrine and manipulation. It’s a film that questions if we do things because we’ve been told to
do them just like our ancestors who were taught the same things for centuries, or do we act out
of free will and a real desire to do so. How do we act in the face of death, of loss, of an
overwhelming odds – do we stand tall or do we crumple? Do we continue to believe, or do we
give into the void? This is a film that respects its viewers and never talks down or simplifies
things for the audience. It asks the viewers to keep up with the deep dialogue, but it never
forgets that we go to the movies for fun and not lectures. It’s a film with complex ideas about
the battle between good and evil and builds tension until the very end. Hugh Grant gives one of
the best performances of his career, and his young co-stars excel with their performaces that
match Grant step by step. The ending is ambiguous and may upset some viewers, but those
that understand the LDS faith will appreciate the image of a young person seeking
understanding in a meadow and possibly receiving a vision from somewhere beyond the veil.
Grade: A-