Heretic | TIFF 2024 | Review by: Benjamin Garrett
Religion is a hot button subject - hell, wars are waged around the world because of clashing faiths. What makes Heretic such a devilishly good time, are the ways in which it playfully and cleverly deconstructs beliefs, without preaching any one true religion.
The movie follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East) from the Mormon Church, out canvassing for potential new members. Their final house call of the day finds them in the living room of the seemingly friendly Mr Reed (Hugh Grant), but their conversation quickly begins to take an unnerving detour. This is a dialogue heavy, single location game of mental cat and mouse - or chess, even. What begins as a civil conversation about Christian beliefs and one’s personal faith, evolves into a scintillating and horrific dissection of religious practices in general.
Of course, their conversation is just one part of this twisted horror movie, but it’s crucial to why the whole thing works so well. The dialogue builds tension and mistrust between Mr. Reed and the girls, as his true intentions are gradually unveiled. The script is sharp, nerve wracking and actually quite funny too, even if it isn’t offering anything groundbreaking to religious discourse. The story moves in some unexpectedly dark directions, but always maintains its smart commentary throughout.
Hugh Grant is perfectly cast as Mr. Reed, absolutely devouring the role. An initially warm and inviting demeanour with something ever so slightly off - he emits a constant sense of anxious unease, playing off of the girls’ innocent naivety with malicious joy. The chemistry - or lack thereof between Grant, Thatcher and East is excellent. As the night goes on, the three become simultaneously more and less comfortable around each other, which leads to a number of wholly satisfying confrontations.
The cinematography and camera work creatively capture the sense of claustrophobia being trapped inside Mr. Reed’s quaint little home. The set design creates an atmosphere that should be inviting, but is in fact the exact opposite. Just like Reed, everything about this home feels a little… off. As the audience, everything is setting off red flags in our heads, as we know not everything about this man and his home are as they seem.
It is written: Heretic is another heavenly entry in A24’s horror catalogue. A playful crucifixion of religious practices is heightened by creative production design and a wickedly entertaining trio of performances. I’m not a religious man, but I have faith that audiences are gonna love this movie.
4/5
