Introduction
As 2024 nears its end, one thing is for certain in the oft-debated world of film, the Grant-aissance is going strong. It’s hard to say when it began as Hugh Grant has been working steadily for over four decades. It’s more the type of roles that he’s chosen over the last ten years that define his resurgence. He’s shied away from period pieces and rom-coms, which rocketed him to stardom in the 90s. Instead, he’s leaned into more character-driven roles. His portrayal as Mr. Reed in A24’s Heretic continues that trend. The result is one of the best performances of Grant’s career.
Synopsis
Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) go door to door in what appears to be an unnamed Pacific Northwest town, spreading the word of Christ on behalf of the Latter-day Saints. As the weather begins to turn ominous, as it so often does in these types of films, the pair arrive at the door of the smiling and inviting Mr. Reed (Grant). He would love to talk about spreading the word! With the promise of fresh blueberry pie being prepared by Mr. Reed’s wife in the kitchen, the sisters accept his invitation to sit down for a cordial conversation.
As Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes enter the labyrinthian home of Mr. Reed, they quickly realize that all is not right. Mr. Reed heads for the kitchen to retrieve the sweet-smelling blueberry pie, and the two missionaries’ spider sense soon starts to go off. It also doesn’t help that the delectable smell of blueberry pie is really a scented candle. In addition, the door from which they entered the home is now locked—from the inside.
With no sign of Mrs. Reed anywhere and the tenseness ramping up, a theological game of cat and mouse between the two sisters and Mr. Reed ensues. Mr. Reed insists that Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes can leave at any time, with one caveat. Choose the door either marked ‘Faith’ or the one marked ‘Disbelief.’ It turns out that the smiling Mr. Reed is a skilled theological scholar. The true test for Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes is about to begin.
Analysis
While a scary entry into the canon of A24 psychological horror, Heretic is also an informative film. It’s perhaps the most intellectual-driven one that the production house has ever made. Indeed, Grant’s Mr. Reed pontificates and waxes poetic about the different types of religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc.) and puts forth to Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes that they are all the same religion. And that they have the same inherent goal of subjugating its believers.
Much like Quentin Tarantino’s underrated masterpiece The Hateful Eight (2015), Heretic is largely practical effects and takes place within the confines of four walls. That makes the movie almost wholly dependent on the performances of its actors. While QT had Russell, Tatum, Roth Jackson, Goggins, Jason-Leigh, et. al., at his disposal, writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods must lean confidently on his smaller, and less high-wattage cast.
Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East both turn in strong performances, acting as a counterpoint to each other while covering each other’s back as their situation grows more dire. Thatcher’s Sister Barnes is the more cynical and worldly of the two. While East’s Sister Paxton is the wide-eyed and all-believing religious convert. That’s pretty much where the standard horror tropes end as their characters are written intelligently and don’t make the usual dumb choices that are seen in so many horror films.
Further Discussion
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods create a tense atmosphere as Heretic progresses and the catch is that the viewer doesn’t want to believe it, even though they know the path the film is headed down. This is Hugh Grant after all. He was in Notting Hill (1999) and Love Actually (2003). He’s telling jokes and his wife is making pie in the other room. There MUST be some other explanation. There isn’t. It’s just Grant further cementing his status as a late-career character actor extraordinaire.
The genius in casting Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed is it throws Heretic off its axis. It’s also the only real flaw the film has. For anyone over the age of forty, you’re spending a good deal of the film thinking ‘I can’t believe Hugh Grant is in a horror film’ instead of absorbing the stellar performance he’s giving. This is the unfortunate problem that A-list stars have when they transition into character work, supporting roles, and genres they are new to. The good news is Grant is so good in his performance that you’ll get over it pretty quickly.
Conclusion
While Heretic feels a bit rushed and forced in the film’s third act, that doesn’t take away from its outstanding performances by all three leads. Beck and Wood’s wordy and rapid-fire script is like cat nip for a pro like Grant. His monologues about theology and its pitfalls are the heart of the film and take this A24 production to the next level.
Both critics and the box office are taking notice as Grant is starting to pile up year-end award nominations. This includes both the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor. We’re here for all of it. Heretic is one of the great surprises of 2024 and among the best films of the year.
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