Heretic Review: Hugh Grant Is Terrifying In This Twisted A24 Horror Movie [Fantastic Fest]

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods have mastered the art of the 8 out of 10 genre movie. No one in the world is making better 8 out of 10 horror and science fiction films. And their latest movie, the claustrophobic religious thriller "Heretic" is a 10 out of 10 in the category of 8 out of 10 horror movies. I know this sounds like a lunatic thing to say, but 60% of the time, it works every time.

"Heretic" continues the trend of Beck and Woods being two extremely talented movie dorks who read the room and know exactly what the audience wants, even if they don't know they want it yet. "Haunt" is a modern gem that will only accrue a powerful cult following as the years go by, the Adam Driver-versus-dinosaurs survival adventure "65" is one of the most unjustly overlooked blockbusters of the past few years, and now "Heretic" is an A24 horror movie that has all of the trappings of something like "Hereditary" while also thinking of the audience's pleasure first and foremost. It's dark and nasty and cerebral, but it also never forgets to be a good time at the movies. One gets the impression that Beck and Woods would happily sacrifice a few points in reviews from hoity-toity critics like me if it means sending the audience out into the lobby buzzing and on a strong cinematic high.

And they're right to do so. I rewatch 8 out of 10 movies more often than I do 10 out of 10 movies. There's something to be said about a movie that just hits right, and even more to be said for a movie that hits right while approaching those familiar pleasure sensors from a fresh and exciting direction. Frankly, I can't wait to see "Heretic" again.

Deliberately designed to function as a sort of anti-"Quiet Place" (which Beck and Woods wrote), "Heretic" is a horror movie driven entirely by dialogue, conversation, debate, and words as weapons. Set almost entirely in a series of rooms in a Very Bad House, the film follows two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, who take an appointment with a seemingly friendly older man, only to learn that his curiosity is a mask for his staggering expertise in religion. What begins as an awkward meeting slowly transforms into a theology class from hell, as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton first politely endure their host's lecturing before realizing the front door is locked, they cannot leave, and the only way forward is to learn what he wants with them. And what he wants from them certainly can't be good.

A horror film this contained lives or dies by its performances, and "Heretic" is shouldered by three powerhouses. The slightly thorny Sister Barnes and the sweet-natured, trusting Sister Paxton make for an incredible and unlikely horror movie duo: two religious young women who are treated as intelligent and thoughtful even as they stumble into a nightmare. The film's screenplay ensures they avoid common genre pitfalls and generally make smart choices in a dire situation. Sophie Thatcher's Barnes, tough and quietly ferocious, balances perfectly balances Chloe East's Paxton, whose bubbly naïveté finds itself tested repeatedly and brutally as she's dragged further into darkness.

There are too many religious horror films to count, but so few of them are actually interested in the inner beliefs and thoughts of characters who believe in a higher power. The power of Thatcher and East's performances is that even a non-believer can understand their perspective, and feel the agony of the film's ongoing assault on everything they hold close to their soul. They are, quite frankly, the best new horror movie protagonists since "The Conjuring" introduced its fictionalized versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The third great performance comes from Hugh Grant, continuing his astonishing transformation from former heartthrob to fascinating character actor. His Mr. Reed is a perfect use of Grant's talents (using every part of the Hugh Grant, if you will). His goofy charm, that inherent friendliness that made him such a compelling rom-com lead for so many years, is front-and-center. Of course you can trust this guy. But the smarm slowly emerges, coating every friendly smile and seemingly kind word with a texture of discomfort. Eventually, we're seeing sides of Grant we've never seen before as an actor, a previously untapped capacity for terror that lands all the harder because we watched several familiar masks dissolve in slow motion before our very eyes.

The character of Mr. Reed, and Grant's performance, recalls the kind of oft-forgotten horror villain actors like Vincent Price used to play. His power is his way with words, the way he ingratiates himself in a room, charming those around him until they're lulled into a sense of false security. There's an edge of camp present, but one gets the impression that it's Reed himself who is indulging a dramatic side — he loves to hear himself talk, and he loves to watch those across from him squirm as they realize exactly what he's saying. Mr. Reed would be right at home in a '60s Amicus horror anthology, the kind of host who sits in the comfy chair and tells you exactly how awful things are going to get before delivering on that promise. Frankly, it's an incredible performance.

For its first half, "Heretic" is unlike any horror movie released in 2024, and perhaps the most stressful and intense horror movie of the year. Beck and Woods make use of their limited locations to strangle the audience, bringing their cameras into suffocating extreme close-ups to emphasize the impossibility of escape. Mr. Reed talks and talks and talks, and Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes smile and nod and politely respond until the politeness runs out. Plans are plotted in hushed whispers. The deliberate lack of action leaves the characters, and the audience, powerless. Rare is the horror movie that can mine so much sheer terror from being in a room with a man who prides himself on being able to talk his way through someone's defenses. We use "skin-crawling" a lot when we talk about horror cinema, but the sheer ickiness of Grant's performance, its pompous escalation, makes the epidermis twitch. It's powerful, disconcerting filmmaking.

But Beck and Woods are crowd-pleasers at heart. They want the audience to have a good time, darn it. Eventually, "Heretic" does evolve into something a bit more familiar, shedding the heart-pounding sense of pure wrongness that defines the first hour in favor of more action, violence, and traditional excitement. And it's all very well-executed, frequently very scary and, honestly, probably the right choice for filmmakers who clearly care about their audience.

Beck and Woods, masters of the 8 out of the 10 movie, the movie that you want to revisit again and again, need to offer that familiar release. It's in their nature. And I'm not mad at it, even as I acknowledge that the film's first half bowled me over while I merely found the second half to be just a terrific time at the movies. Who am I to turn my nose up a movie ultimately making the choice to be good entertainment above all else? 

/Film Rating: 8 out of 10

"Heretic" opens in theaters on November 8, 2024.