Before his stint as cinema’s go-to romantic lead, Hugh Grant secured one of his first big roles, as many do, in a horror film. That film was The Lair of the White Worm (1988), Ken Russell’s bizarre (and bizarrely brilliant) Bram Stoker adaptation, in which Grant plays a heroic Lord of the Manor. Decades on, he’s making a grand return to the genre in Heretic, the latest from indie darlings A24. Only this time, Grant is far from the hero — and that’s a very good thing indeed.
Heretic is written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the duo who penned A Quiet Place with John Krasinski. Where that film was built on strong foundations but left something to be desired storywise, Heretic’s fundamentally silly premise is elevated by whip-smart dialogue and thoroughly committed performances from its leads.
The story centers on Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), two missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints doing house calls in an attempt to convert new members. Barnes is the more street-savvy and cagey of the two, while Paxton is a little more naive and soft-bellied, visibly wounded by the reactions they encounter from the public as they lug their bikes and reading materials around town.
Their efforts seem to have been in vain until they arrive at the door of the charming, innocuous Mr. Reed (Grant), who comes across as not only knowledgeable about their religion, but spiritually and intellectually curious, too. Lulled into a false sense of security by Reed’s kindly nature and assurance that his wife is baking blueberry pie in the next room, the Sisters step inside.
If you’ve seen the trailer or glimpsed one of the posters for Heretic, you’ll know the pie was a lie. From the moment Barnes and Paxton settle on Reed’s sofa, Beck and Woods begin to dial up the tension, with Reed’s line of questioning quickly taking an uneasy turn. The camera, once framing Grant primarily in long shots, begins to pull in on his face, emphasizing that we, and the Sisters, are now trapped with him in this house. As soon as Reed reveals the Saw-style choice he’s forcing the young women to make, we know we’re in for a trip.
Jigsaw is a fair comparison here, because while Heretic only has a few gory scenes — one in particular will leave you squirming — some of Reed’s pre-planning requires John Kramer levels of omnipotence to pull off. It’s nonsense, but it’s entertaining nonsense wrapped in a script that will truly make you think.
Grant is critical to that veneer of cleverness, delivering every line with absolute conviction and a sparkle in his eyes that starts to fade as his crueler intentions reveal themselves. He’s utterly convincing as someone whose quest for knowledge has led him to cross a line he can’t come back from — or did it? Part of Heretic’s brilliance lies in making us question and doubt Reed, even as he’s saying things that a no doubt significant portion of the audience likely agrees with. He’s a snake, slithering through the darkness to whisper doubt in the Sisters’ ears, and every moment Grant is on screen is a gift.
But Thatcher and East are no slouches, going toe-to-toe with the veteran actor and keeping our sympathies and loyalties firmly rooted. East has an especially challenging part to play, proving Sister Paxton to be much smarter than we initially peg her for. By the end of the film, you may well feel bad about your initial impressions — and have plenty of big questions to mull over on the drive home.
Heretic was a Secret Screening at Fantastic Fest 2024, arriving in theaters nationwide on November 8.
