Heretic Review
One of the genres that has taken me both by surprise and propelled my already admiration for this actor is Hugh Grant playing against type. For years we loved him as the bumbling Englishman in a multitude of romantic comedies and then something shifted when he was cast as the villainous camp Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2 and we started to see a side of Grant that both excited and intrigued us. Now with roles in The Gentlemen, Very English Scandal and The Undoing he is delivering complex roles and his latest is probably his most complex and chilling yet.
This holy horror film 'Heretic' is produced by A24, who are known for their subversive take on the horror genre and have propelled their films into the cultural zeitgeist such as Hereditary and Midsommar - when a new horror film from them is on a screen it is a must-see event.
The film follows two innocent Mormon girls sister Paxton played by Chloe East and sister Barnes played by Sophie Thatcher who are going door to door talking about their religion and the saviour of Jesus Christ - one of the doors belongs to Mr Reed played by Grant, who lures them in by saying his wife is in the house making a pie and that encourages the girls to come into his house with the promise of a women present. The conversation slowly turns as Mr Reed expresses a diffident interest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as the girls are getting more uncomfortable it seems that all is not right in the house and that there is no wife present and he is here to teach the sister's a lesson.Just like 'Speak No Evil' which was released a few months ago - both films explore the themes of people pleasing, and even though both plots are far-fetched in how much people will tolerate others, they show how people who just want to be civil with everyone can be taken advantage off, and it makes for a good horror plot. This is what makes Grant the perfect casting for Mr Reed as he uses his old-school charm to lure the girls into his house and uses that kindness throughout when encouraging the sisters about their religion.
This is a slow burn and relies very highly on dialogue in the first part to build up tension and mystery, and the cast executes this well, particularly Grant, as the horror element rests completely on his shoulders and with his monologues, he has plenty of opportunity to engage the audience and leave them questioning his morals. However, a film that is slow at the beginning becomes complicated as the watcher wants to be immediately hooked and on a ride with the characters, particularly in the horror genre. But this is where Heretic excels, as the casting is exceptional, and all three give incredible performances, so you are engaged no matter what is happening on screen, and that is a testament to A24 and the power of their film
s on screen.
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