“Heretic” is the story of a terrifying visit by two young missionaries to the home of the older Mr. Reed. After entering, the two women realize there’s no way for them to leave. Mr. Reed attempts to teach them about faith and — as they descend deeper into his home and into danger — what he thinks is the one true religion.
The aspect of “Heretic” you’ll be least likely to forget when you walk out of the theater is Hugh Grant’s performance as Mr. Reed. He has all the self-assuredness of a British academic wrapped up in a cardigan, which only makes him scarier as a villain.
The film’s two missionary characters, who visit Mr. Reed in an attempt to convert him to the Church of the Latter-day Saints, are both wonderfully written and performed. After being trapped in Mr. Reed’s home, they’re faced with his arguments against the truth of their faith. Although the story comes to (sort of) affirm Mr. Reed’s views on religion, these ideas don’t go without rebuttal, and neither does Mr. Reed’s violence. The missionaries argue, with compelling evidence, for their own views and have agency within the story.
It’s probably worth noting that there’s been some conversation about the film’s portrayal of the Church of the Latter-day Saints — the Church commented on the film’s portrayal and so have former members of the Church.
At times, the first half of the film veered into territory that was more cerebral than I expected, prioritizing intellectual commentary over the scary to a degree unexpected for a thriller or horror film. In the first half of the film, the viewer is basically watching a religious studies debate set in a cozy study full of religious iconography. Despite this, the discomfort in the scenes reads palpably and the shots are so gorgeous that I don’t mind being reminded of classrooms.
While this choice was a risky move on the part of the filmmakers, the performances are strong enough and the atmosphere throughout the film is disquieting enough that it works. Additionally, the little moments of absurdity sprinkled through the story (Hugh Grant does a Jar Jar Binks impression?) added to the disturbing world of Mr. Reed’s design.
The weakest part of the film was its third act: It was much more horror-like than its first two, but at a cost. I could feel myself growing bored and even Hugh Grant (who sheds his alarmingly charming cardigan!) was unable to preserve my faith in the film. Once the two women leave Mr. Reed’s study, the beguiling veneer is gone. So is the film’s tension.
The beginning of the film felt so intentional — aesthetically indulgent and kind of funny. The end, however, nearly felt like the filmmakers were deciding what to do as they were doing it. Though I can appreciate an open ending, I needed some sort of resolution. Hugh Grant’s lecturing spends so much time building up to nothing terribly interesting.
Still, “Heretic” was largely enjoyable! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a dialogue-heavy film, but not to someone who’s looking for a horror flick.
