Heretic

Review by Mark Woodring

I don’t know about you, but I find it a bit weird when spooky/creepy/thrilling films are released AROUND Halloween, but not FOR Halloween.

**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**

Heretic - Review
Heretic (A24)

 

110 Minutes, Rated R
Written and Directed by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Synopsis:

Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

Clearly, Heretic is one of those which falls into this category. I mean, I guess I could argue that a good thriller is welcome at any time of the year; heck, The Silence of the Lambs was released in February of 1991, and it’s hard to find a movie creepier and more thrilling that that!

Heretic is written by the guys who wrote the Quiet Place (1, 2, and Day One) films, along with The Boogeyman, so that’s a plus for me.

They are also responsible for 65, which is a black mark, for sure. Such a wasted opportunity on that one.

But I digress.

The boys really hit a solid one with Heretic. All the moody atmosphere you could ask for in Mr. Reed’s home, from it’s stained wallpaper to it’s lovely wooden built-in shelving, hosted by a terribly pleasant yet also unnerving Mr. Reed.

As our two trusting yet not-quite-naive young missionaries call upon him to discuss his interest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (hereafter referred to as “LDS”), he is unfailingly pleasant and apologetic about anything he says which may put them off… until he’s not.

Much hubbub has been hubbub-bed about this film in the LDS community, wondering if a film which seems to glorify capturing, questioning, and apparently torturing two young female missionaries from the church is directed specifically at them or mocking them in some way (and the early exchange regarding “magic underwear” would seem to indicate this being a legitimate worry).

I heard one of my fellow Utah critics talking about how he had been approached by his bosses regarding how he was going to cover the film, as we live in the heart of LDS-land and people were concerned.

I heard that and told him to read my review of the still-in-theaters Conclave, in which I had to review a film which took on the subject of the church in which I had been raised. It’s a scary thing to try to analyze something which seems to be attacking, or at least aggressively questioning a fundamental tenet of your life.

Here’s where I wound up with Conclave: review the movie as accurately and honestly as you can. Divorce yourself from the subject matter much as you might from a particular director or actor who you find yourself at personal odds with.

The film is a film.

I know; easier said than done, but it’s the job of a critic.

For myself, Heretic is easy… ish.

The LDS angle is most front and center in the early stages of the film, as we are getting to know our two missionaries, Sisters Barnes and Paxton. Once the audience is presented with them, we get a quick example of how they are perceived by the public at large (the “magic underwear” scene with a local girl), before finally arriving at Mr. Reed’s door, where the real examination of not only their faith, but faith in general, begins.

Heretic lives and dies by the performances of our trio of actors, and they are all up to the task. Our missionaries convey the excitement and uncertainty of their proselytizing efforts, while Mr. Reed plays the affable-yet-off-putting target of those efforts.

What follows is a game of tit-for-tat philosophical and theological theorizing between the parties, and while some folks are going to find plenty to nit-pick about it all, I believe that is the entire point: to try and find a weakness in the other’s armor in order to score a figurative killing blow that ends the resistance to the other’s argument.

All this atmosphere is classic thriller, before morphing into a more horror-based segment in the second half.

I found the tone of Heretic to be stellar, keeping me on the edge of my seat despite absolutely knowing what was to come. Hugh Grant gives a tour-de-force performance, creating the best villain since Anthony Hopkins gave us Hannibal Lector.

I said what I said.

It’s not a simple thing to craft a villain who is simultaneously so vile and yet so seemingly reasonable and approachable, but Grant’s natural affability shines through the rough-edged Mr. Reed’s more sinister demeanor to find a balance that keeps both the Sisters and audience off-kilter enough to roll through the sometimes rote plot points.

More importantly, the film is fun to watch, despite its darkness and seemingly endless barrage of TED Talk material.

It’s worth noting that, as the film approaches the end, there are some character changes that don’t seem to add up, considering what we’ve seen from them before, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker for me.

A more-than-worthy entry into the Pantheon of great Thrillers, Heretic is sure to make you thing while it creeps you out.

Heretic would like to chat with you in theaters on November 8 and stars Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East.

And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.

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