Hugh Grant has never been better in a heady religious horror thriller

Heretic
gives us another side of Hugh Grant. The veteran actor has entertained us for years – whether in comedy or romance – but he takes on a completely sinister role in Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ gripping religious horror. The writer-director duo’s film is a highly engaging cat-and-mouse hunt between Grant’s Mr. Reed and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Days. Beck and Woods know how to create something exciting. The film’s tension never lets up, leaving us on the edge of our seats.

Religious horror often focuses on possessions or the Antichrist, but Heretic goes in another direction. The central conflict here is belief and theological debate. It’s filled with Barnes and Paxton’s apparent will to choose, as Mr. Reed repeats that they can leave the house whenever they want (although he makes it difficult). Reed has studied theology for years, but claims to have found the one true religion, while the “big three” religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – are simply iterations of something much older. It’s a heady story that leads to a stunning final act.

Heretic is a magnetic thriller that examines religion

Heretic It’s powered mostly by excellent, crisp conversations. The film offers a push-pull dynamic between Mr. Reed’s disbelief and Paxton and Barnes’ belief. Regardless of what either party believes, the film asserts that they still have a system of ideas that they subscribe to. It’s especially interesting because the power shifts at several points in the film, even though Mr. Reed has the upper hand for most of the film’s runtime. It’s a thorough and moving exploration of religion and theology, so much so that I wanted to do more research after watching it.

As a horror, there aren’t many scares or anything of that nature. Instead of, Heretic depends on the claustrophobic tension that permeates the film. There’s a deep sense of unease as soon as Mr. Reed answers the door, and Grant plays Mr. Reed with a combination of menacing subtleties and genuine intrigue. He’s horrible even when he brings up some thought-provoking points in the discussion. The thriller can be unbearable to watch because you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop, but Beck and Woods have established a good pace so that nothing feels rushed.

A movie with a lot of conversations can be difficult to tackle. Dialogue has to remain intriguing and tense to maintain interest and momentum. Fortunately, the filmmakers created a disturbing and hypnotic atmosphere. We hang on to Reed’s every word, even as we fear for Paxton and Barnes’ lives. They are not passive characters, however, at times they take things into their own hands, while resisting Mr. Reed’s ideas with their own. Thatcher’s Barnes is particularly astute, as it’s revealed that his family tried other churches before settling on LDS, turning the back and forth into a chilling affair.

Heretic makes excellent use of its spooky setting

This allows actors to perfect their performances

Limited to the interior of Mr. Reed’s spooky house, Heretic It utilizes the small but seemingly vast space phenomenally well. The camera angles change to accommodate the interior, tricking our eyes as we pan through everything Mr. Reed has packed into each room and the menacing doors that stand like guards in the background. The dim lighting sets the mood, making us hyper-aware that something terrible is about to happen. It’s almost as if the house itself, a labyrinth of rooms and endless tunnels, is a confusing, layered argument.

The tight space allows the actors to use their body language and facial expressions in an engaging way. Close-ups of their faces heighten the tension that continues to build, and the closeness between them highlights their every movement. Sometimes we know their decisions before we make them, while other times we are surprised. Grant is at the top of his game here, conversational but alarmingly deranged. When he smiles slowly, it’s enough to chill your heart. As Mr. Reed, Grant is the best kind of villain – menacing, defiant, and sharp as a knife.

Thatcher (from Showtime Yellow Jackets) is also fantastic; his fear of Mr. Reed never overshadows his common sense and desire to protect Paxton. Reed takes advantage of her doubts, but Thatcher’s character is not so naive. One of the best scenes comes when the two face off in a deliciously intense verbal fight. East is equally good, playing Paxton with an exuberant energy that contrasts with Thatcher and Grant’s characters. She’s certainly the youngest character in thought, but East’s portrayal proves that Paxton is not to be underestimated.

It’s been a while since a horror thriller was this riveting. Heretic it has everything I could want in horror and left me thinking about the very arguments that make up most of the film’s conflicts. The imprisonment aspect gives the film a feeling of being trapped in a cage that heightens the mysterious nature of the setting. The twists that come later are well positioned and the writer-director duo knows when to move on from each point in the story, bringing everything together cohesively in the end. Heretic knows exactly how to keep us mesmerized. It’s a unique horror experience that’s sure to have everyone talking.

Heretic premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and is now playing in theaters. The film is 110 minutes long and is rated R for some bloody violence.