A new sign appearing in various spots around Salt Lake City International Airport this week asks, “What happened to Paxton and Barnes?”
Alongside the sign’s question are photos of two women and a QR code, in the style of a missing persons poster. The giveaway is one word: “Heretic,” along with a date (Nov. 8) and a logo for the movie studio A24.
The notice, spotted as early as Thursday and posted on social media, is an ad for “Heretic,” a horror thriller about two missionaries — Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) — who meet Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) while proselytizing; Reed traps them in his house and challenges them on their religious convictions.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) An advertisement for the upcoming movie “Heretic” is seen at Salt Lake City International Airport, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.
A24, the movie’s distributor, has scheduled it to open Nov. 8 in theaters nationwide.
The advertisement seemed to be timed to catch the attention of people who may be visiting Salt Lake City for this weekend’s General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Reactions to the “Heretic” poster on social media were mixed.
Some saw it as a typical promotion for horror or scary films. They gave it a verbal shrug. One woman said she saw the ad in England and had no idea what it was.
Others found it insensitive to real missing persons by using a recognizable format.
”People have historically been willing to read missing persons posters. Exploiting this pro-social behavior for marketing has a costly social effect of desensitization and eventual apathy,” Vernal resident Mark Grammer wrote on Facebook. “I did this once to advertise a charity event and felt dirty and unethical afterward. I don’t want to live in that world.”
D. Christian Harrison, a Salt Lake City graphic designer, echoed that sentiment. ”This is really gross,” Harrison wrote, “and a violation of the public trust.”
When “The Saratov Approach” — a 2013 film based on the true story of two Latter-day Saint missionaries who were kidnapped in Russia — was released in theaters, “there were similar concerns,” wrote the film’s director, Garrett Batty. “‘Heretic’ marketing is intended to create awareness and draw an audience. It is certainly doing that effectively, as evidenced by the many posts we’re seeing about it.”
An airport spokesperson said Friday morning that they have not received any complaints or comments about the ad. The spokesperson deferred other questions to Lamar Advertising, which handles ad sales for the airport. A Lamar spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
The movie has been generating attention since A24 released the first trailer June 25. That trailer prompted conversations among former Latter-day Saint missionaries, who recalled their own harrowing experiences in the field.
On Sept. 19, A24 released a second trailer, featuring quotes from some of the positive reviews from critics who saw the movie at its Toronto International Film Festival premiere.
(A24) Hugh Grant, left, plays a character welcoming two missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East), in the horror-thriller "Heretic." The movie is scheduled to be released nationwide on Nov. 8, 2024.
