Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are back with Heretic, a religious thriller that sees a devilishly charming Hugh Grant play a psychological game of control and terror with two unsuspecting Mormon missionaries.
Heretic Review
We've all seen them. Mormon missionaries who go around trying to convert others to their faith. But what happens when they knock at the wrong door and instead of teaching someone about religion they face a horrifying perversion of their conversion plans? Co-writers and directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods answer that question in their new religious thriller that takes the opposite stance of their massive hit A Quiet Place. In that film, the terror is built without hardly a word being spoken but in Heretic, it is the dialogue that lays the groundwork for the twisted horror that lies within.
A religious debate threatening something more than just falling asleep due to boredom? Sounds like a lofty goal, but Beck and Woods are up for the task. These two know their audience and because they do, they deliver something that will send people out of the theater buzzing about what they just witnessed. Heretic is dark, foreboding, and works its way into your mind demanding an answer to the question: what do you believe? But the reason it works so well is due to the scene-stealing, devilishly charming, lethal performance of Hugh Grant. He is the puppet master in this psychological game of control and terror, where you have no choice but to walk the path he has laid out for you.
Eager but naive Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and the serious, slightly more worldly Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) are in Colorado working as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are tasked with visiting Mr. Reed (Grant) –say that slowly and it's the equivalent of Dominic Badguy in Muppets Most Wanted– a man who has expressed interest in the church's teachings. He is nothing but kind and hospitable when the two young women arrive at his door. He insists his wife is inside baking a blueberry pie, so the two enter his home in hopes of converting them. But something is off. The wife never actually appears, the blueberry pie is a candle, and there has been an edge to Mr. Reed's friendliness from the moment the door clicked shut behind them. Soon they are forced to play his game of beliefs if they want to survive the night.
Heretic, like its villain, clearly enjoys toying with its captivated audience. Its malice and true intentions are slowly rolled out, luring you in until you have no choice but to finish the ride. And you want to see this through, if simply to discover what the one true religion really is. Heretic promises you answers, like Mr. Reed does the missionaries, but it's your choice whether or not you have the stomach for them. Set almost entirely inside a house with church-like design choices and a sinister labyrinth, the directors and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung capitalize on the cramped quarters. It feels like the walls are closing in as they zoom in closely to their subjects before pulling back at just the right moment. All of this elevates the feeling of disbelief and disorientation as the cat-and-mouse game plays out.
Unlike many other religious frightfests, this one doesn't pit the protagonists against some otherworldly holy horror. Sisters Paxton and Barnes aren't fighting the devil or a demon, they are fighting a man, whose greatest weapon is his logical and persuasive arguments. Those same points may anger more than a few religious folks but Beck and Woods also make sure we understand these missionaries and their perspective on life. It never outright mocks them, nor do they just stand idly by when things get bad praying to God for help. In fact you can't help but empathize with them as Mr. Reed continually attacks everything they've ever believed.
On paper, it might be hard to believe Heretic could pull off a crowd-pleasing thriller. It's about religion, shot in a contained area, that relies on dialogue over shock and awe. But it works because of thanks to the powerful performances of its three leads. Paxton and Barnes are an unlikely duo in a horror film that lends itself to some fun twists along the way. East gives Paxton a sweet naïveté. She's mild-mannered, everything a “good” church girl is supposed to be but that doesn't make her dumb or unlikeable. As she further gets pulled into Reed's darkness, she shows she's not just some programmed congregant. This balances well with Thatcher's tough, more cynical Barnes who sees the situation for what it is almost immediately. Beck and Woods have also penned a script that allow these women to make smart decisions as they are faced with one obstacle after another, deftly avoiding typical genre nonsense.
The scene-stealer though is Grant, dressed in thick reading glasses and an unassuming cozy layers, he is as charming as ever with his big grins and playful winks. It's not hard to see how our two missionaries fell for his trap hook, line, and sinker. All of the reasons that made Grant a rom-com staple in the 90s are deployed here but with more sinister intentions. The effect is wild for anyone who has been a longtime fan of his and remembers Two Weeks Notice as if they saw it yesterday. (Just me?) Of course they should trust this man, what could possibly go wrong. It's when Grant slowly allows the malevolence to seep into his friendly smiles and kind gestures that the tension really escalates. He's terrifying not because of some supernatural ability but because of the way he lulls everyone around him into a false sense of security, all by doing what Grant does best– charm the pants off anyone in close vicinity.
It does have some flaws. The second half of the film doesn't feel as expertly paced or gripping as the first. When the plot takes a dive into the darker aspects of the story things get a little murky. Not just literally, as the lighting is dimmed dampening the clever visuals but also figuratively. The ending is something I'm still sitting with, trying to decide if I liked it or not. Even if it doesn't end up wholly working for me, Heretic is undeniably entertaining, especially with Grant taking gleefully to a role so outside his normal stock of characters.
Verdict
Anchored by a Hugh Grant performance for the books, Heretic is a dark and foreboding psychological game of control and terror that will have you coming back for more. It doesn't matter that the slow burn of the first half ends up being more enticing than the more traditional action-led horror of the second. Beck and Woods keep your attention throughout the runtime with their clever choices and well-executed thrills. Like Barnes who asks Reed if he is playing checkers and chess, the filmmakers keep you guessing up until the end.
Heretic releases in theaters November 8. It is rated R for some bloody violence with a runtime of 1 hour 50 minutes.
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