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When you think of horror movies, you might imagine a homicidal maniac out to terrorize a group of teenaged camp-goers, or a possessed doll hellbent on making the lives of its new owners a living nightmare. What the genre doesn't immediately bring to mind, however, are films that challenge their audience intellectually, as much as they cause their pulses to race and their heartbeats to quicken. It's not always obvious, yet it's something some of the best genre stories do. And with Heretic, that's precisely what writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods aim for as well, in this chilling tale of two young missionaries who find their beliefs tested like they've never been tested before. Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) are loyal disciples of the Church of Latter Day Saints who are out on their daily mission trying to spread the world of the Mormon gospel. However, when they make the mistake of knocking on the door of their latest possible convert, the seemingly mild-mannered Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), they soon find themselves getting much more than they bargained for. Lured inside by Reed's duplicitous assurances that his wife is just in the next room baking a pie, Paxton and Barnes end up trapped in his house, which has been locked down tighter than a bank vault. As Reed informs them, however, all is not lost; and if they want to leave, they simply need to make a choice. Forced to select between two doors ominously marked "Belief" and "Disbelief," these two young women will descend into a nightmarish scenario neither of them could dare even fathom. But will they live long enough to regret their decision? Or will they discover that there are some things in this world far worse and far more sinister than an atheist in need of true religion? A taut chamber piece that proves a successful scary movie need not be reliant on jump scares or be concerned with franchise potential, the result is a smartly crafted tale of terror that's sure to become a new genre cult classic. Part theological essay, part old-fashioned kidnapping thriller, Heretic isn't the type of film that can be easily put into a box. What is easy to recognize, however, is that this is certainly one of Grant's most memorable roles. And while it's only a matter of time before the 64-year-old actor returns to playing more lighthearted characters, it's impossible to ignore the darkness that makes this particular turn so devilishly delightful. |
Heretic screens under the Special Presentations programme at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Its runtime is 1 hr. 50 min.
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