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Heretic — a quality, rule-breaking psychological thriller that keeps viewers on the edge

Heretic — a quality, rule-breaking psychological thriller that keeps viewers on the edge
Heretic. Image: A24
Noelle Adams
By Noelle Adams
5 Dec 2024
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A24 has delivered another unsettling, artful horror film in the form of Heretic. It’s not subtle but benefits from its unconventional and unpredictable approach to the genre, turning to theological debate and compelling performances – especially on Hugh Grant’s part – to engross viewers.

Film Studies 101: horror movies and thrillers always benefit from quiet. Silence builds apprehension, heightening audience reaction when it’s shattered.

It’s a lesson taken to heart by writer-director duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, as the pair were responsible for scripting the dystopian hit A Quiet Place, where any sound would get its characters eviscerated by nasty extra-terrestrials.

And yet, ironically for Beck and Woods, their latest effort, released under the prestigious A24 banner, draws its tension from near non-stop talk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp8A5RaN_DY

In Heretic, Sister Barnes (Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are two Mormon missionaries following conversion leads from their elders. With Sister Paxton especially desperate to secure a baptism, they end up at the remote house of genial intellectual Mr Reed (Hugh Grant), who invites them in to talk theology.

But the young women soon realise they are trapped and are then subjected to a terrifying stress-test of their beliefs. 

Just as Mr Reed challenges the young women’s faith, Heretic continually challenges viewers’ preconceptions. Here is a chilling cat-and-mouse game that is largely dialogue-driven instead of hushed: you wouldn’t think debates about religion would have you holding your breath, but that’s the kind of rule-breaking psychological thriller that Heretic is.

The same goes for its plot. Like last year’s Barbarian, Heretic veers off in unexpected directions, and adds handbrake turns — some gut-turning due to their visceralness — that can’t be discussed for spoiler reasons.

Heretic is unconventional and unpredictable, and, fortunately, right now it can be enjoyed without the over-hype that Longlegs received. Then again, Heretic benefits from a less stilted approach to its atmosphere building. It draws on recognisable situations like women’s socially ingrained politeness overriding their survival instincts, and a villain that one could conceivably encounter in real life.

Heretic is another unsettling, artful horror film from the A24 stable. (Image: A24)



The best thing about the psychological thriller Heretic is its sheer number of surprises. (Image: A24)



Heretic is elevated by Hugh Grant's performance. (Image: A24)



Heretic is also elevated by the casting of Hugh Grant. The actor has played caddish figures in the past, such as Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones’s Diary, and in recent years he has filled the shoes of Dungeons & Dragons and Paddington’s more flamboyant bad guys. However, Heretic cleverly leverages Grant’s charming, avuncular persona to lead the missionaries, and the audience, to a disturbing place. And he does this while in a cardigan, serving soft drinks with a smile, and never letting his calm, considered demeanour slip. 

While Grant is captivating on screen, Thatcher and the lesser-known East deserve shout-outs as well. The film is performance-driven at its core, and its characters are far from naive damsels in distress. As Sister Barnes notes, they may not be able to match Reed physically, but they can cerebrally spar with him, earning some small wins as they counter his arguments and put him on a seething backfoot.

One can’t say that Heretic is subtle, but it is smart and artful, shifting within its constrained scenario to defy genre tropes.

Plus, it’s always refreshing to watch something where the viewer doesn’t know where it’s heading. For a change, the trailer also hasn’t telegraphed every plot point. Ultimately, Heretic is a worthy addition to the stable of quality, unsettling A24 horror that includes the likes of The Witch, Hereditary and Talk to Me. DM

Heretic is in South African cinemas from Friday, 29 November. 

This article was first published on Pfangirl.


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