There are hardly more interesting and polarizing topics in the world other than religion. It has united and divided so many across the world, irrespective of which religion it is. A24, who had the best slate of features at TIFF 2024, is bringing to us another fascinating look into religion that will challenge your beliefs and complete you with its storytelling. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are making their directorial debut with this horror-thriller, from a script they wrote themselves.
It is set entirely inside a house and has a very isolated and compact setting. To compensate for that, they got themselves two very promising youngsters Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, and against them is a little-known British guy called Hugh Grant. I have to say that the casting here is on point and they could not have gotten actors that fit better than them. On his casting, Grant said that “A24 is cool and he is cool, so it was a match”, which got the entire audience present at the premiere going berserk. This is just a fraction of the charm he brings to the screen as his character, the mysterious Mr. Reed.
A24 is considered one of the best for producing horror movies, but with projects like Maxxxine, The Front Room, I Saw the TV Glow, etc., they had an underwhelming year by their own standards. But then the trailer came out for Heretic and it instantly dialed up the anticipation levels. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods may not have directed anything before this one, but they had written acclaimed features such as A Quiet Place movies, which are also horror-thrillers. With that and the talent involved, it was hard to see how this movie would not be a good product.
We open with Sister Paxon (East) and Sister Barnes (Thatcher) as they find themselves knocking on Mr. Reed’s door hoping to sell him on the Church of Jesus Christ after a day full of failed baptisms. To their fortune, or should I say misfortune, Mr. Reed is eager to hear them out and invites the two Mormon missionaries into his house. They briefly talk about religion and he offers them a blueberry pie that his “wife” is baking. The church’s safety rules iterate that female missionaries should never share a room without another woman present. So they ask him for his wife, who is nowhere to be seen.
They discover that the blueberry smell is coming from a scented candle and that the front door is locked and won’t open. It quickly becomes clear that Mr. Reed does not plan to let the girls leave and things are about to get a lot wierder. The first act focuses more on establishing the characters, and the setting and slowly builds up the atmosphere for what will be a seriously sinister test of the young missionaries’ faith from thereon. Mr. Reed brings up several interesting discussions on religion and that will force Paxton and Barnes to question their own faith and beliefs. The horror elements here take a back seat for most of the journey and the makers focus more on scaring you with their ideas and themes on what is the “one true religion” rather than jumpscares. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any jumpscares or bloody scenes.
The three performances are the strongest part of the movie. Hugh Grant is devilishly charming and steals every scene he is in. But the sinisterness that he brings behind all that charm is what makes him truly scary. Sophie Thatcher is calculative and edgy and her character is determined to get out of the house. The camera closes up on her face a lot, and whenever it does you can feel the tension in the room. Chloe East also gets to shine as the timid Sister Paxton but is also fearless when she needs to be. Beck and Woods’ first foray into direction was impressive, but their script and specifically its ideas were more impressive.
Heretic is quite simply a near-perfect horror-thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods make a stellar directorial debut thanks to a thoroughly engrossing screenplay and a devilishly charming Hugh Grant. You absolutely will not be able to take your eyes off him even if you wanted to. A24’s latest gem fascinates the viewer with its ideas on religion and faith. This will no doubt be one of the best movie-going experiences of the year, making it a must-watch.
Heretic premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024 and will release in cinemas on November 15, 2024.
