In the last few years Hugh Grant has truly taken pleasure in playing against the grain of expectation he laid upon himself after a career of inhabiting predominantly likeable characters. Arguably starting with his wonderfully committed camp turn as the villainous Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2 in 2017, Grant has been on an incline of indulging in the many colours afforded to him, with The Gentlemen (2019), Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves and Wonka (all 2023) all benefitting from his willingness to surrender to the material.
In Heretic, which proves the strongest effort to date from directing duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (who, with this, are more than forgiven for the absolute misfire that was last year’s 65), Grant is arguably delivering career-best work as the sinister Mr. Reed, a theologist who engages in a cat-and-mouse game of matching wits and beliefs with Sisters Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Paxton (Chloe East), two Mormon missionaries, who visit his seemingly humble abode with the initial intention of converting him.
Religion in horror films is often used within the possession subsect of the genre, or when centered around the Antichrist, but what Beck and Woods conjure with Heretic takes the conversation in a different direction. The conflict at its core is around belief, and there’s equal parts tension, intelligence and wit at bay as Reed starts to challenge Barnes and Paxton’s own ideals and what they truly believe in. Almost from the get-go of the two Sisters entering Reed’s home, we sense that something is ominous. They claim they can’t be alone in the room with him unless another female in present, and though he cheerfully informs them that he is married, there’s always an excuse as to why his wife never joins them. He dances around any of the their questions, though he is more than accepting of their choice to leave whenever they choose; though he makes this increasingly difficult.
Whilst there is a horrific nature to Heretic, it operates on a more psychological level, with Beck and Woods voiding it of predominant jump scares (though it does have a few worthy moments) and, instead, letting the intelligence of its characters navigate the discomfort. There are sharp conversations throughout its 110 minutes, with the power dynamic between Reed’s inherent disbelief and the Sisters’ belief shifting often, eventually leading to a climax that plays more into the expected aesthetic of a horror picture.
Given that so much of Heretic is based around conversations, it’s a testament to Beck and Woods that they’ve crafted something so intriguing, with a momentum that never stalls. The atmosphere is considerable as we stay predominantly in the walls of Reed’s home (it practically becomes a character in itself), and though we fear for both Barnes and Paxton, we can’t help but hang on every word Grant delivers. He is simply tremendous. Thatcher and East are equally as game though, both creating wholly developed characters, refusing to submit to any stereotypes surrounding their religious fanaticism; East is particularly grand as the more innocent of the two (the way she says “pornography” is immensely humorous), though it’s with that supposed innocence that gives way to her character having the biggest arc.
A truly riveting genre piece, Heretic opens up a wealth of fascinating conversation, as well as proving a near-perfect example of the genre. It has a distinct sense of humour about itself (there’s a monologue around religion and Monopoly that is divine) and it’s effortlessly eerie in its cat-and-mouse temperament. Chilling and topical, Heretic furthers the horror genre’s stronghold on cinema at its most perceptive.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Heretic is screening in Australian theatres from November 28th, 2024.
Heretic was originally reviewed as part of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival coverage.
