From the writers of A Quiet Place comes a fun thriller about two missionaries trapped by Hugh Grant. Here’s our Heretic review.
Going into Heretic, I was worried. The word of mouth for the film was good, but I also knew nothing about it apart from the basic premise from the trailer. Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the duo behind the idea for A Quiet Place, Heretic could either end up being a cult classic or something of a letdown.
Heretic is definitely the former.
The setup sees two missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), who are going door to door in the pouring rain, offering people more information on God and their church. When they reach Mr Reed’s (Hugh Grant) door, they’re happy to accept his invitation to step inside after he assures them that his wife is also home and baking a pie.
As this is a thriller, things quickly take a turn for the worst. Turns out that Mr Reed isn’t quite as charming and trustworthy as he appears.
I’m going to stop there with the plot, though. The trailers reveal more, so it’s up to you if you want to watch them and go in with more knowledge of what happens next. I’d advise going into Heretic with as little knowledge as possible, because half the fun is experiencing the thrilling and weird ways the plot unfolds. This isn’t to say that Beck and Woods’ film is filled with major twists and turns, but knowing where the film is going would be to rob it of its full effect.
Beck and Woods keep Heretic contained and moving at a steady pace. We get a great sense of who our two protagonists are and how they differ in their views and personalities before we get to Mr Reed’s house, which creates a strong, rich thematic ground for the plot to bloom from.
Grant has arguably only gotten better over time. I think we can all agree – as he does – that Grant’s performance in Paddington 2 is one of his best, and in Heretic, he once again taps into that deliciously villainous side of his. Mr Reed has little in common with your usual horror or thriller villains. He’s not quite as psychotic as Patrick Bateman, nor as sadistic as Jigsaw or as violent as Michael Myers, but he’s fascinating and meticulous. Grant’s clearly having a lot of fun, and Heretic strongly embraces the actor’s comedic side to great effect – but without diluting the film’s terror.
Grant is arguably the film’s highlight, but Chloe East turns out to be Heretic’s secret weapon. Sophie Thatcher is the bigger name of the two young actresses, after her appearances in The Boogeyman and Yellowjackets, and the film heavily leans on Sister Barnes at first, but Heretic turns out to be Sister Paxton’s film and journey. East is compelling and riveting in the role even when the script threatens to reduce her to your usual damsel in distress.
Heretic falters slightly in its final half hour. What started out as a psychological cat-and-mouse game descends into your usual horror movie conventions as blood is spilled. The finale leaves us wanting more, maybe just to spend more time with these characters and exploring Mr Reed’s ideas of religion and the world. There’s a lot of fun to be had with Heretic, though, and it’s a rare horror film that entertains as much as it confounds.
Heretic is in UK cinemas on the 1st November.
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