Here’s the scenario. You’ve carried your bike up a massive set of stairs all to get to the front door of a man who wants to know more about your religion - Mormonism. By the time you get to his front step, a thunderstorm is rolling in. He invites you inside - it’sHugh Grant, btw - and joins you for a rousing conversation about religion. But, as time moves on, the conversation gets a little uncomfortable and weird, and before you know it, you’re in a separate room where he’s telling you about different world religions andcomparing them to songs and board games. What do you do? Do you ask him to just kill you now because this is an absolute nightmare or do you play along and attempt to find a way out? Me? I would go for the former option, but if you want to find out what happens next, you’ll want to head over on-demand platforms now to watchHeretic.
In the movie, the people carrying their bikes up the steep staircase are played bySophie Thatcher(The Boogeyman) andChloe East(The Fabelmans). Much more streetwise than her companion, Thatcher’s Sister Barnes almost immediately has her antennae raised when they sit down to hold space for the questions coming from Grant’s Mr. Reed. But, despite being more in tune with the threatening situation, Sister Barnes is just as much trapped as East’s Sister Paxton when Mr. Reed ensnares them both. The man’s plan is nothing less than diabolical, as he forces them to question their belief system through a myriad of torturous situations.
A Cunning Religious Horror Feature
From the promotional material alone, it was clear thatHereticwas going to really zero in on religion and how such strong and unwavering belief systems can lead to trouble down the line. The film allowed Grant - known over the last several decades as a familiar face in rom-coms likeNotting HillandLove Actually- tostep into his villainous era, all while maintaining that edge of an unassuming, mild-mannered, older white dude.Speaking with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff,Hereticco-director,Bryan Woods, explained the decision to lean so far into the faith-based aspect,
“We always start from this kind of abstract, wide place, and the thing that we got really excited about was this question that we’re asking ourselves, “Can we create a horror thriller film where you replace jump scares, and you replace the monster in the shadow with dialogue and philosophical ideas?”Can those become the thing that’s generating tension? Can you basically do a movie that’s entirely a chamber piece, it’s all conversation, and still unsettle and provoke? And for us, the topic of religion is kind of, in many ways, one of our greatest fears, and what happens when we die? It’s a great mystery. Is there anything after death, or is there nothing? All those ideas together felt like the start ofHeretic.”
If you’re already sold on the message ofHeretic, you’ll have the option of making a 4K UHD digital purchase for $24.99, while a rental will cost you $19.99. Check out platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV for either option.
Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
