When it comes to religious horror films, most entries in the genre usually stay in fairly familiar territory. Demon possession, evil antichrist babies, and the devil manipulating one’s actions are all within the usual realm of the religious horror movie. Rarely, however, do horror films deal with the actual fear of having faith in a religion, the uncertainty of putting your trust in something that might be false, or the inner turmoil that is a crisis of faith. Heretic, the latest film from writer-director team Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (writers of A Quiet Place, Boogeyman, 65, and Haunt), focuses less on the horror and more on the religion in their A24 film, a smart move that makes it stand out within the genre.

What Is ‘Heretic’ About?

Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East star as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, respectively, two missionaries in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spreading the word of the Mormon church to any who will listen. But their mission to save souls has been fruitless, with most people ignoring them altogether. Yet the church has received a response from Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), who said he’d like to learn more about the religion, so the two women of the church head to his house to preach the gospel.

Mr. Reed seems open to what these two have to share. He invites them into his home, offering to introduce them to his wife who is baking a blueberry pie, and engages with them in a discussion of the Mormon faith and his search for the one true religion. However, once Mr. Reed leaves the two alone, they start to question whether they should be there at all. They discover that there doesn’t seem to be a Mrs. Reed, they’re locked in the house, and Mr. Reed seems even more knowledgeable about their own religion than they are. As they delve deeper into Mr. Reed’s house to find a way out, they will have to come to grips with their faith and decide if they will leave this house with the same faith they came in with.

‘Heretic’ Smartly Chooses Religion Over Horror
Image via A24

Instead of leaning into the horror, Beck and Woods prioritize the religious questions inherent in Heretic. This can often feel like an Introduction to 101 primer at times, but the film is having a blast at breaking down the religious hypocrisies that people with strict beliefs might not otherwise know. If anything, Heretic seems like it’s attempting to scare those with a close-minded viewpoint towards “one true religion” than it is about frightening with jump scares or gross imagery. Yet Beck and Woods aren’t just criticizing organized religion and how so many faiths owe themselves to prior teachings; they’re also taking down those who believe themselves to be beholden to some great truths that others can’t comprehend. Mr. Reed presents his discussions of faith from a position of power and understanding that he feels Barnes and Paxton can’t conceive of, yet it’s easy to find the holes in his own dogma, and the flaws in what he is also preaching.

Espousing his religious rants with great gusto and excitement is Grant as Mr. Reed, a delightfully strange and exciting role for the actor. Grant has been on a roll lately with villainous performances, both in Paddington 2 and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and his role in Heretic is a solid addition to this lineup. Like those other films, Heretic knows that with Grant at the helm, all you really need to do is step back, aim the camera at him, and let him go on a tear. Here, Grant is reveling in destroying the spirit of these two girls, pointing out the holes in logic within their religion, and genuinely enjoying the back-and-forth that this pair provides in this dialogue about faith. Heretic is at its best when it lets Grant take the reins with a lengthy monologue and go off on his visitors, using Monopoly as a metaphor for religion, singing Radiohead songs, and doing a Jar Jar Binks impression. It’s basically everything you could want from a villainous Grant role.

Balancing out Grant on the pro-religion side of things are Thatcher and East, who are solid in these roles and defending their faith despite the situation they’re in. Beck and Woods’ screenplay leads us to assume certain things about these characters, while shifting our expectations the further we go down this rabbit hole. Thatcher’s Sister Barnes came to the church later, whereas East’s Sister Paxton seems to be more blindly invested in what she’s been taught. Thatcher is great at matching Grant’s criticisms while holding her own, but it’s East who has the film’s most interesting shift. The film makes us so concerned about the history of Sister Barnes that we sort of take Sister Paxton for granted, and especially as the film gets deeper into this house, East’s character becomes quite a pleasant surprise in how she preserves her belief.

The Deepeer ‘Heretic’ Dives Into the House, the More the Film Starts to Falter
Image via A24

Unfortunately, the farther Beck and Woods take us into this house, the more this narrative starts to fall apart. For the first few rooms in Mr. Reed’s house, Heretic is primarily focused on a conflict of faiths, led by Grant’s performance, a simple yet effective direction for the film. But the further the film delves into the darkness of this home, the less compelling it becomes. Part of that is because Grant becomes less of the film’s focus, but also because Beck and Woods’ screenplay begins to explore concrete answers and play in potential miracles. What started as an absorbing discussion shifts into goofier ideas and questionable presentations of faith. The film’s look even loses some of its luster, as the homey, comforting feel of Mr. Reed’s home gives way to dark rooms that are barely lit. Cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon (Wonka, Last Night in Soho and frequent collaborator of Park Chan-wook) films these latter scenes more like a horror film and as the film starts to move away from these heated discussions, the impact of the story gets lost in the end.

Heretic is a clever twist on the religious horror genre, bolstered by three strong performances, particularly Grant’s gregarious yet haunting Mr. Reed. It certainly falls into a disappointing purgatory in the final third, but Beck and Woods’ approach to the genre is a refreshing one, exploring the hypocrisies of organized religion in a way we rarely see in mainstream cinema. And hey, Grant does a pretty great Jar Jar.

Heretic had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It hits theaters on November 15.