On November 8th, the A24 religious horror film Heretic was released in theaters. It stars Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East and is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The film currently sits at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.3/10 on IMDb; it grossed $11 million on opening weekend.
The film follows Sister Barnes (Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (East) as they embark on a mission for their church. One of the houses they’re instructed to visit is lived in by a man named Mr. Reed (Grant). He invites them in and slowly entraps them in a game that makes them fear for their lives and confront the one question he asks them, what is the one true religion?
Known for his work in romcoms during the 90s, Grant does a complete 180° in his role as Mr. Reed. Grant portrays Mr. Reed’s insanity by slowly overstepping the sisters’ boundaries and singing Creep by Radiohead while simultaneously trying to tear down the fundamentals of what these two girls believe regarding their religion. The most unsettling quality Grant brings to his character is how he always has a smile on his face, beaming while studying the two and putting them through psychological hell.
Starring opposite Grant are Thatcher and East playing Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, two naive Mormon girls who find themselves caught in Mr. Reed’s trap. The two girls contrast one another and balance the others’ logic, one being the voice of reason and the other being the voice of hope. They also verbally oppose Mr. Reed’s ideas and rules while unknowingly conforming to them, playing into his game.
The directors, Beck and Woods, are known for their work in horror, specifically writing the innovative script for the film A Quiet Place. For Heretic, the duo played into the psychological aspect of horror by building suspense with something as simple as a candle or the neverending wait for the reveal of Mr. Reeds’ wife, messing with the audience’s head. They do this all with rarely any jumpscares, only using a couple of moments of physical shock in the film.
The majority of the film only takes place in four spaces, all of which are in Mr. Reed’s house. This scene of seclusion adds to the tension of the film, creating a space for the characters and audience to feel trapped and out of control. Set decorator Hamish Purdy used warm browns and tans along with older books and artifacts to create a warm environment in Mr Reed’s house for two of the four main locations, making the reveal of the third and fourth even more sinister; giving a look into who Mr. Reed truly is.
Another look into how the characters present themselves is through their clothing. Costume designer Betsy Heimann gave Mr. Reed a funky, colorful sweater to give him the impression of a kind, old man instead of the sinister person he actually is. Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton both wear more conservative clothing, reflecting how true they are to their Mormon beliefs.
Heretic takes viewers on a journey through what they believe in and the factors influencing their choices, getting them to think about what they’ve been told. So don’t let someone control you, make the choice and go see Heretic in theaters.
