Heretic review
A theology lecture. With props.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Heretic
Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
Written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
Starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young, Julie Lynn Mortensen and Haylie Hansen
Heretic Review
Religious horror is often a tough sell. The possession movies all live in the shadow of The Exorcist. The demons run amok movies usually falter due to an overly serious character fighting it with their faith. There’s a place for these films, of course. They wouldn’t keep retelling the stories if there wasn’t. For people of faith…the threat of losing it or finding out that the demon parts of their religion are real would be a very personal horror. The internal discussion about religion can be an obstacle to an entertaining story, however. There’s more religious discussion in Heretic than there is any religious horror movie I can recall. And it works.
Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are Mormon missionaries attempting to spread the word to a world of uninterested people. They are relieved when they meet Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), a man who is both interested and studied on the subject. That relief quickly turns to fear when they discover that nothing is at it appears on the surface.
When I say that Heretic has a lot of religious discussion…I mean that it’s practically entirely comprised of it. A lengthy discussion about faith, the history of organized religion, miracles…pretty much every angle you can think of on the topic. That sounds incredibly boring, doesn’t it? The real miracle in Heretic is that it isn’t. Some of that comes from Grant’s performance. With his unnerving smile and off-putting questions, Mr. Reed is clearly up to something. What that is exactly…takes a while to come into focus.
What we do know is that Grant is given one Hell of a script to work with. Heretic is getting notice for Grant’s performance…and rightfully so…he’s terrific. The screenplay deserves equal billing. It crams in so many thoughts about what religion is…especially to the believer…and it does so without ever feeling preachy or boring. Mr. Reed claims to have found the one true religion. And he’s going to use his visitors to test his hypothesis.
Mr. Reed is a fascinating antagonist. Especially within the context of religious horror. His fundamental destruction of organized religion would be devastating to the sisters if they weren’t so terrified of finding themselves inside of his trap. Grant plays the part with a smile from the start. Even when the sisters recognize their situation…he plays the role of kindly. Kindly…with brutal language meant to confront their faith. The character may be a monster…but Grant doesn’t play him as one. It’s a great choice. Even when he gets more…hands on…with his experiment, Grant does so under the guise of kindly teacher. It’s disturbing in a way that feels fresh. And very effective.
Thatcher and East spend much of Heretic on the verge of tears. The kind that are brought about by finding yourself in an intensely frightening situation. We aren’t talking about the threat of immediate death. This is worse. The creeping fear that you will never escape your situation. A situation that they don’t have to fully understand to recognize it as a nightmare. They search for moments to turn the table on their captor. Barnes is the bolder of the two. She tries to upset Mr. Reed with the answers to his theological warfare. Paxton is less aggressive…but has a keen eye for detail that comes in handy.
This is, largely, a three-person story. Mr. Reed and the two missionaries are the nearly sole focus of Heretic. There is, however, a wonderfully small role for Topher Grace as an Elder at the sisters’ church. He notices their disappearance and sets out on a quest to find them. This is as close to Heretic comes to having a B-plot or a second perspective. How it uses, and resolves it, is…interesting. A brief, and necessary change of pace to keep the film from threating monotony.
Though Heretic is religious horror through and through…it presents its discussion in new ways. Ways that elevate it above the usual fare. It’s equal parts performance horror. The three leads are terrific…with Grant turning in a memorable turn. The combination of a great screenplay, excellent performances and a unique delivery system result in a movie that feels fresh even as it focuses on things that rarely do.
Scare Value
Hugh Grant may grab the headlines in Heretic…but it’s the script that gives the movie its power. A long religious discussion is as interesting on the page as it is coming out of Grant’s mouth. The performance helps, of course. But if the movie had nothing to say…it would just be a fine performance in an uninteresting story. Combining the two makes Heretic a winner.
3.5/5
Heretic Link
In theaters now – Fandango
