Film Review - Heretic
Images courtesy of Roadshow Films.
Religious horror flick Heretic is co-director/co-writer duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ first foray under A24, the duo being better known for writing on bigger genre films like A Quiet Place and helming 65 - aka that movie from last year about Adam Driver fighting a bunch of dinosaurs that you already forgot existed. Heretic is a film that, like any missionary trying to peddle their religion, starts with a lot of promise. The first half of the movie is a near masterclass in suspension, with a lot of fun (if somewhat Reddit-tinged) philosophical and theological banter, with some pop culture tidbits about Monopoly and Radiohead sprinkled in for seasoning.
The film opens with two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), who find themselves at the doorstep of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). The initial setup is deceptively simple, but the directors use this to their advantage, slowly building an air of distrust where no one is truly who they say they are. The attention to detail in these early moments is welcome, subtle without feeling too purposefully vague. From the subtle nuances in the characters' interactions to the set design, everything works together to create an immediate sense of place and vibes.
Beck and Woods meticulously craft an atmosphere that is unnerving yet delightfully light-hearted, giving the three leads a lot of room to play with tone and tune their performances from nervous laughter to outright terror. The cinematography is stunning, amplifying the warm, woody tones of Mr. Reed’s home to juxtapose the sense of dread and anticipation. Then, as the horror settles in during the back half, the descent into the basement sees the screen flooded with hues of dark blue. The sound design is equally impressive, adding layers of tension that keep you on the edge of your seat.
Hugh Grant's performance as Mr. Reed is a standout. While he's generally known for his charming roles in romantic comedies, Grant takes a dark turn here, delivering a chilling performance that compliments his natural charisma with a burgeoning dark side. His portrayal of Mr. Reed is all about control in chaos, as he oscillates between a calm, friendly demeanor and sudden slips of the mask as an air of contempt emerges. Sophie Thatcher also delivers a great performance, but forgive me for burying the lead, as Chloe East turns out to be the film's unsung hero. East's Sister Paxton is naïve and vulnerable yet witty; her fear palpable, yet never obscuring that her character has more going on under the surface than it might seem. The dynamic between the three characters adds depth to the narrative, making their plight all the more engaging.
However, as you may have picked up, as Heretic progresses into its second half, it seems to lose much of its initial momentum. The plot becomes more familiar beyond the guise of its theological debates, and the characters' motivations start to feel less compelling. While the first half is rich with potential, the latter part of the film relies more on conventional horror tropes that don't quite pack the same punch. It reminded me a bit of a less thorny Martyrs, or Barbarian if you removed the tongue-in-cheek trashiness.
In conclusion, Heretic is a film of two clashing identities. One is a simmering rumination on the evolution of modern day spirituality, and the other is a relatively by-the-numbers basement chiller that tries to continue the threads of what came before, only to end up weakening the film’s overall impact. It gives the impression that there was at least an attempt at doing something new, only to falter and fall back on tropes. It's not quite as bad as it sounds, and you do still end up with the sense that the film has an identity of its own, but Heretic shows that you can't take anything for Hugh Granted.
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Heretic is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.