Religiously conservative Christians and Mormons are likely going to apply the kind of vitriol they usually turn on the LGBTQ community to the new Hugh Grant movie “Heretic” (A24). Surprisingly, other faiths manage to remain unscathed in the suspenseful horror movie co-written and co-directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
Expanding his acting horizons, Grant plays Mr. Reed, a reclusive psychopath with an encyclopedic knowledge of world religions, a knack for carving small wooden figurines, and a penchant for prophets and captivity. When a pair of female Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), come knocking, he’s prepared to make their lives a living hell.
More worldly than you might imagine, between home visits, Barnes and Paxton sit on a park bench discussing sex and pornography. Determined to make their quota, the pair heads to the next home on their list, lock their bikes to the gate, and ring the bell, just as the Colorado weather becomes rainy (before later developing into a full-fledged snowstorm).
Fully embracing his 64-year-old wrinkles, Grant’s Reed seems friendly and harmless enough as he welcomes the young women into his home, promising that his wife will soon be joining them as LDS rules require. Of course, nothing is as it seems. The aroma of blueberry pie supposedly baking in the kitchen is revealed to be that of a scented candle. The lights go on and off via a timer, and the front door lock is controlled by a similar mechanism.
Reed has no intention of letting Barnes or Paxton go without first dismantling their religious foundations, and then their young lives. Questions of belief and disbelief are intended to not only give the characters, but also the audience, something to think about.
Trapped in a seemingly inescapable situation without cell service because of the metal in the ceiling and walls (something Reed casually mentions early in their interaction), Barnes and Paxton must rely on their wits. They also hope that Elder Kennedy (Topher Grace), aware of their schedule, will be concerned enough to search for them.
For all of its scary subtleties, “Heretic” can also be unexpectedly obvious, as when we get a quick close-up of the scar on Sister Barnes’s upper arm and what it later reveals. Nevertheless, the three lead actors, especially Grant, using his history of playing humble, likable characters to put the audience off-guard, are frighteningly believable. It probably goes without saying, at this time when religious fanaticism is tearing at the fabric of society, that “Heretic” is well-timed, well-intentioned, and terrifying AF.
Rating: B
