Films for Breakfast

Questioning of faith and purpose is far from unique to the horror genre – The Exorcist is one of the most defining horror films of all-time. But as society becomes more secular in its belief systems and the film industry changes, it only makes sense that the horror genre adapts within how it approaches the topic of religion. Heretic is a film that understands that one of the scariest things a human can endure is an existential terror and an attack on a belief system we have held dear for a majority of our lives. The film follows two young missionaries, Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) in a route to go door-to-door, in attempt to convert non-believers and those questioning their faith. This brings them to the doorstep of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) – a seemingly open-minded and friendly individual.

After what starts off as a seemingly simple encounter with Mr. Reed, the two young women realize they are trapped in his home, playing a dangerous cat and mouse game where their faith is put to the test. It’s within this premise that Heretic flexes its most impressive strength, which is an understanding that existential terror is far scarier than any gore or jump scares you can throw at an audience. Whenever I rewatch The Exorcist, I sure do love the genuinely unsettling moments of possession.. but the moments of that film that truly stick out to me are the scenes in which Father Karras is grappling with his identity and belief system in the wake of such horrors in the world. After watching Heretic, I feel like directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods agree with that sentiment as they have delivered a film that is as thoughtful and full of ideas as it is frightening.

Right off the bat, one of the things I most admired about Heretic is how it treats its lead characters. Mormons are often the punchline of a joke in most films, but Heretic makes it clear from the moment the film begins that the filmmakers care about these characters and that we’re not here to merely laugh at them and their beliefs; they are sincere, fully-rounded characters. Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East both serve up fantastic performances and share really solid, believable chemistry with one-another from the get-go. However, this is really Hugh Grant’s show as he gives an all-time great performance and serves as a perfect foil for our two leads.

You could make the argument that Hugh Grant is the star of Heretic, but for my money, the screenplay is truly the star. One of the most impressive things about Heretic is how comfortably it relies on its own dialogue and characters to draw you in. The way the screenplay slowly twists and turns, weaving in character motivations, plot points that will become important later, allegories, etc. is kind of remarkable. The film does an excellent job at gradually building its tension in a way that feels effortless and sustains it for a majority of its running time.

Heretic primarily takes place within the location of Mr. Reed’s home, a choice that could easily become grating after a while. However, the filmmakers do an excellent job at making the best use of the space that they possibly can – adding in different layers to the house that serve as individual set pieces that serve up different meanings thematically. The cinematography from DP Chung Chung-hoon does a lot of heavy lifting here, as he finds a truly brilliant visual style for the film. There are so many expository or conversational shots that any lesser DP would frame in a boring fashion, but he makes the confines of this home feel massive and frightening just due to his technique.

My only real knock against Heretic is that while the screenplay is massively impressive, it does feel like it plays its best cards a bit too early. The first half of this film is like a firecracker of top-notch dialogue and great performers playing off of one-another in an excellent cat-and-mouse game. As the film inevitably reveals more to the audience and stops lingering within its own mystery, it does feel a bit less compelling. It feels more comfortable asking questions to its audience rather than actually trying to answer them or satisfyingly address them. This isn’t to say the latter half of the film is a dud, as it has a handful of a great moments – but it doesn’t quite match the energy that the earlier half does.

Even if I wish the film maintained its own sense of mystery and an existential terror of the unknown from beginning to end, there’s no denying that Heretic is a largely entertaining ride from beginning to end. I think anyone who gives it a go will be delighted by both the thrills and compelling commentary on modern day religion – all of which is anchored by three tremendous performances across the board. I can’t wait to see what Scott Beck and Bryan Woods do next!

4/5