Movie Review: Heretic

Horror movies have never shied away from tackling religious themes, so in that regard Heretic, from the writing and directing duo of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, is hardly novel. Rarely though (if ever) does the genre so explicitly engage in theological debate. That this film does so intelligently and tactfully while also still delivering the thrills that audiences are expecting makes it particularly notable.

Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), two young missionaries out trying to recruit new members to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have not been having the best of luck as they pull up to their last house of the day. A downpour has started and when the home’s charming resident, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), beckons them to come inside they do so against their better judgment.

His house appears to be decorated with the same furnishings it’s had for decades and features more than a few quirks that will set off alarm bells in viewers (the lights operate on a timer mechanism that needs to be frequently reset, the walls and the ceiling are full of metal), but Reed is so enthusiastic about chatting with the girls that they fail to fully register what that all might mean. As it becomes apparent that he knows a lot more about religion than he was initially letting on, and his demeanor becomes stranger and takes on an air of malicious intent, Barnes especially grows suspicious, but by the time they resolve to take action it’s too late, and they have no choice but to play Reed’s games and see exactly what it is that he wants from them.

Beck and Woods have constructed a clever puzzle box of a movie, in which almost everything that happens on screen matters down the road, rewarding observant viewers. The lengthy religious discussions don’t really cover any new ground (although a metaphor using the board game Monopoly is pretty clever), rather serving to summarize many of the usual talking points on both sides, but it works having it laid out here and will give viewers much to ponder over as they draw their own conclusions.

Thatcher and East give excellent performances as the stronger-than-first-thought missionaries, but Grant steals the movie, reveling in the opportunity to play a villain, and uses his natural charm to brilliantly menacing effect. As things get stranger and stranger, viewers will be on the edge of their seats, rooting for the girls and wondering where everything is headed. The ending winds up feeling a tad anticlimactic, but the journey is so enjoyable that it’s a forgivable sin. Audiences who have been enjoying the recent wave of “elevated” horror will find plenty to appreciate in this elegant magic trick of a movie. ★★★★