If you approached me a couple of years ago and said that I would be spending a future Halloween evening at the cinema watching a Hugh Grant movie… my response would be either hilarity or annoyance, with a smidgen of verbal abuse (probably along the lines of “Do one!”, “How very dare you!”, or much worse). The UK’s go-to guy for rogue roles or rom-com leads? Hardly Freddy Krueger, is he? But those of us with a long memory might remember his leading role in Ken Russell’s extremely daft take on Bram Stoker’s Lair of the White Worm (1988). Additionally, he was the protagonist in the US medical thriller Extreme Measures (1996), which brushed close to horror, with him finding Gene Hackman fatally experimenting on homeless folk. So it’s not all Notting Hill and Paddington 2. Those of a cynical disposition can be further soothed by the fact that Heretic is an A24 production, the studio which has established a good batting average for profitable and critically acclaimed genre films. In addition to that, it also headlines rising scream queen Sophie Thatcher (so good in The Boogeyman and literally on fire in the upcoming Companion), as well as being directed and written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (the OGs behind the A Quiet Place franchise and other recent horror offerings). Being categorised as a “holy horror” (whatever that is) and a psychological exercise in fearful entertainment, the trailers have (for once) done a pretty good job of shielding prospective viewers from (most) of the plot twists, apart from the most essential ones regarding Hugh’s blueberry pie subterfuge and villainous intents. Is it an autumnal horror fit for post-Halloween hangovers then?

 

We join Morman missionaries Sister Barnes (Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) as they bike around a small rural American town, hoping to score Paxton’s first conversion as they spread awareness of their faith. On their route is the secluded cottage of Mr Reed (Grant), who has previously expressed curiosity about the teachings of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. They arrive as a winter storm hits, but only enter the house once Reed has assured them that his wife is baking pie in the kitchen and will join them soon. As they sit down and start to talk to the charming and disarming Mr Reed, it becomes clear that he is an incredibly intelligent man who knows his theology. They are taken aback by his knowledge of Mormon history and the doctrines that are in existence. Things take a slightly sinister turn when he grills them over their personal thoughts on polygamy and suggests that it was only brought into existence to satisfy the selfish cravings of the founder. That’s just the start though as he challenges more and more aspects of their belief system, until the Sisters realise that they have essentially walked into a trap where their every move is being studied as part of a sick mind-game.
 

Apart from playing the lower-level antagonist in Dungeons & Dragons and the panto villain in Paddington 2, this is the first time that Grant has played the big bad. Especially one that is such a sadistic sod who has no redeeming features. And probably the most chilling thing about that fact is Grant is mostly playing a variation of his usable affable and charismatic self. But all credit to him, as his shift to the dark side here is believable and grounded. It’s an effective turn where you really do worry about the danger he poses to the two female leads, despite his dorky asides and slightly bumbling nature that are synonymous with his previous roles. He presumably could have done an accent (like his recent “mockney” turns) or become a glowering boomer, but his familiar traits merge well with his emerging bastardy. It also makes his ability to string along his victims more understandable. After all, if he was threatening them with a gun or physical violence, they would have to fight back immediately. But dad jokes, low-key lies, and subterfuge will keep them just where he wants them.

 

In tone, this set-up most closely resembles recent grim thrillers like Barbarian or Speak No Evil (remake and original), where social niceties prevent innocents from getting the Hell out of dodge. Barnes and Paxton are sweet-natured, non-confrontational folk and make allowances for Reed’s eccentricities, letting him get away with the absent wife and the occasional disturbing comment until it goes too far. Whilst you wish one of them would give him a quick hoof in the plums and throw a chair out the window, most of us would be loathe to do that… in case we upset somebody and have misread the situation. All the better for sociopaths and psychos to manipulate their victims. Which is exactly what Reed is doing. If we learn nothing else from elevated or modern horror these days, it’s that being polite and reasonable just gets you killed that much quicker. Remember, kick and run, kids.

 

It has to be said that this is a slow-burner and in no way an “action-horror”. Much of the unease and disquieting moments come from Reed belittling the Mormon girls with razor-sharp incite on the history of religion and their mortality. This culminates in a long study-room sequence, where he not only thrashes the origins of Mormonism but puts Christianity in its place and proves that disciples were guilty of plagiarism and reiteration, rather than recording holy events. To be honest, this level of detail might lose a few people (you have to wonder what far-right Christians will make of it in America!) expecting a more archetypical genre film. You can imagine someone thinking “WTF? Is he trying to teach them to death?”. Hand-on-heart though, this is genuinely fascinating stuff, and all delivered with a wonderful amount of arrogance and underlying menace from Grant. Hell, you even learn that Radiohead ripped off The Hollies and that Monopoly was an idea stolen from a housewife (leading to the hilarious cameo of a Bob Ross board game and Grant singing “Creep”). You didn’t get that in Terrifier 3!

 

What is quite nice about this is that the sheltered Mormon girls aren’t shown as helpless innocents who are afraid to have their faith tested. The first scene actually introduces them talking about extra-large condoms, dick sizes, and pornography! They’re also self-aware enough to realise that most people view them as “weirdos”, which is why they’re more forgiving of Reed’s quirks and probing questions. And whilst Grant is getting most of the attention in coverage and promos for the film, you have to give props to both of the lead actresses who definitely hold their own. Thatcher is excellent in another role where she gets put through the wringer. Watch the scene where her face slightly twitches in anger as her tragic past is discussed, or when she challenges Reed on his views on why one particular religion is “less popular”. Perhaps the biggest surprise though is Chloe East (True Blood, The Wolf of Snow Hollow), who arguably turns into the MVP of the piece. It really is a class performance from her as she goes from perky and idealistic to someone who matches Reed in practical intelligence if not academic levels. In fact, all three actors are top-notch in each of their roles.

 

So, is it a horror or a discussion on theology then? It’s very much a horror, although the first half is basically a gradual build to a sequence of events that you probably won’t see coming. Initial views of the trailer or synopsis might lead you to think that Reed is going to lure the Sisters into a set of Saw-like rooms or contraptions to test their moral decision-making or beliefs. But that’s not the case. Despite his miniature model of the house and his map of Dante’s circles of Hell, locations are limited to a few rooms, even when the narrative gets nasty. There is substantial amounts of blood (“Mucky pup!” will never sound the same again!) and at least two genuinely shocking moments, but it’s the overall feeling of dread and a morbid curiosity to see where it’s all leading that drives the movie and makes the time whizz by. Latter parts of the film benefit from surprise and a lack of knowledge (this is what happens when some decent thought goes into trailers) and most people will be blindsided by certain events when they play out. This tension juxtaposes nicely with some of the dark humour included in the script. For example “With great power comes great responsibility”, Spiderman?, (annoyed voice) “Voltaire!”.

 

So there’s the stellar performances, intelligent screenplay, and disquieting tension that all make this worthwhile viewing. The imaginative cinematography deserves some mention as well. Check out the way that Paxton’s progress in the cellar seamlessly transitions into Reed’s miniature model or the way that the camera focuses on the back of the candle as Barnes slowly turns it. The only reason that it doesn’t score slightly higher is that you feel that the narrative is on the cusp of delivering larger shocks or stunning revelations, which never really materialise. The culmination of the search for “true religion” is clever and dark, but it doesn’t necessarily pay off the journey to reach it. Also, the whole idea of “belief” guiding the Sister’s fate is teased to a large extent but mostly unexplored. There are some decent twists (complete with Saw-like expositional flashbacks) and an ending that is canny enough to provide some ambiguity for those who want it. But on the whole, you just wish that there had been some kind of moral-testing circumstances in the latter sequences or that Reed had provided more diabolical tests for the Sisters before the conclusion. Otherwise, this is still an effective genre offering with brains as well as blood. Hugh would have thought it?