There are many dangers in horror movies, but the psychological terror of “Heretic” serves up something novel — and I don’t say this in a bad way — by showing a sociopath who’s trying to talk his victims to death.
Two young women, missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are walking their bicycles through a Colorado ski town, trying without success to start conversations about their faith with anyone who passes by. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) is the more senior of the two, it seems, while Sister Paxton (Chloe East), is the new arrival. This ranking is never stated, but the script by co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods strongly suggests it.
Paxton and Barnes have an address for a likely prospect, so they lock up their bicycles and ring the doorbell as the rain starts to turn to snow. A man, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), answers and says he’s interested in learning what the missionaries have to say about the Latter-day Saint faith. The missionaries hesitate, citing the rule that they can’t enter a man’s home if a woman isn’t also present. Mr. Reed assures them that his wife is inside, making a blueberry pie.
(A24) Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, tries to argue back against the mysterious Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) in the psychological thriller "Heretic," written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The movie opens in theaters nationwide on Nov. 8, 2024.
Once inside, the missionaries begin their well-rehearsed message — what members call “the first discussion” — but Mr. Reed already seems to know a lot more about the Latter-day Saint faith than he was letting on. He even pulls out a large leather-bound volume of the church’s foundational scripture, the Book of Mormon, with plenty of Post-it notes sticking out from the pages. Paxton and Barnes start thinking they have a good prospect for baptism.
But there’s something off about Mr. Reed, some level of insincerity that the missionaries detect. And where’s that wife of his with the blueberry pie?
It doesn’t take long for Paxton and Barnes to realize they’re in danger — in horror-movie terms, they’re pretty sharp on the uptake. Still, they don’t realize their problem until it’s too late. Mr. Reed draws them further inside his labyrinthine house and into a lesson about Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and what he says he has learned is “the one true religion.”
(A24) Sister Paxton (Chloe East), a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sizes up the mysterious Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) in the psychological thriller "Heretic," written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The movie opens in theaters nationwide on Nov. 8, 2024.
Beck and Woods, who wrote the nearly wordless “A Quiet Place,” go the opposite direction here, building up tension mostly through dialogue. It’s a smart screenplay, using allusions to Monopoly and Radiohead’s “Creep” to make Mr. Reed’s comparative points about world religions. The script also provides Paxton and Barnes the grit and intelligence to challenge him — and East (“The Fabelmans”) and Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”) give those characters the courage and grit they need if they want to escape with their lives.
What gives “Heretic” its menace, though, is Hugh Grant, who’s clearly reveling in the villain phase of his career. (See “Paddington 2″ and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” as recent examples.) As Mr. Reed, Grant deploys the shambling charms of his “Notting Hill”/”Four Weddings and a Funeral” days, then twists our expectations into something devilish. It’s a captivating performance, one that lifts “Heretic” to the heights of unbearable tension.
——
‘Heretic’
★★★1/2
Opens Friday, Nov. 8, in theaters everywhere. Rated R for some bloody violence. Running time: 110 minutes.
