Warning: SPOILERS ahead for the ending of Heretic!Heretic star Chloe East explained the horror-thriller film’s ending, revealing why it exists “beauty“in the final moments of the film. The end of Heretic sees East’s Sister Paxton cornered by Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), the pair slowly dying from their injuries as the Mormon believer prays one last time. However, before Reed can kill her, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) wakes up and kills him with a wooden board, before dying once again. Paxton escapes and sees a butterfly on her hand, which she soon realizes isn’t there.
Talking to Collider, East explained how she saw a “beauty” in Hereticis endingspecifically how Paxton never gave up on his decision to pray even though he said out loud that it didn’t work. The actress posited that her ultimate decision shows how, despite Mr. Reed’s attempts to break her faith, she is willing to acknowledge the issues of her religion while still believing in it. Check out what East had to say about the ending below:
I think there’s a lot of strength in Paxton, and I think she’s admirable for knowing that praying doesn’t work, but she does it because ‘it’s good to think about someone other than yourself,’ to quote the movie exactly. But I think there’s a beauty in that, and I think Hugh [Grant]The character is always saying, ‘The more you know, the less you know,’ and I think there’s a strength in, ‘Yes, I know all these things are problematic. Yes, I know, but I still choose it. It’s like Mr. Reed can take everything from her, he can strip her of all the facts, but she won’t let him take it away from her. So that’s my interpretation of it.
What Chloe East’s interpretation says about the heretic’s end
The film highlights the realities of faith and religion
The characters in Heretic continually debate religion throughout the film’s running time, as Reed sees this as a means of control, while the Mormon Sisters genuinely believe in God and His teachings.. The film’s ending, however, highlights the potential for both to be possible. The control aspect comes from Grant’s character holding women captive, including his intentions for Paxton at the end. However, her prayer apparently works to bring Barnes back to life for a brief period, allowing her to escape in a miraculous way.
By ending the film with ambiguity surrounding both ideas of religion, Heretic does not take sides around Mr. Reed’s one true religion or Paxton’s unshakable faith in Mormonism. Instead of, the film emphasizes the personal nature of faith while also suggesting that both sides of the argument have some level of truth. East’s interpretation emphasizes this point, as the film does not paint any of the main characters as righteous. Instead, their beliefs are at odds, with an ending that can be interpreted in several different ways.
Our Take on Chloe East’s Interpretation of How the Heretic Ends
The film’s symbolism of faith helps make it stronger
East’s performance highlights how, despite how much faith is questioned by Mr. Reed throughout the film, Heretic does not take a specific side in the discussion about whether religion is positive or negative. Instead, it presents two different sides of the argument, doing so in a way that equalizes them by the end of the film. This allows its themes to be interpreted not only by the actors, but also by the audience, whose point of view undoubtedly shapes their reception of the film’s story and its messages.
Source: Collider