Heretic

I suppose that many of us have had the god-squad on the doorstep trying to peddle their philosophising but I doubt many are quite as prepared, or as tempting, as the butter-wouldn't-melt "Reed" (Hugh Grant) when the enthusiastic sisters "Barnes" (Sophie Thatcher) and "Paxton" (Chloe East) arrive at his door. Promises of a meeting with his wife and some blueberry pie lure them in and soon they are having a meaningful debate that rather puts the girls on edge. That anxiety only gets worse as there's no sign of the wife and the scented candle proves to have a most unusual, and illuminating, aroma. They conclude that getting out of his home is the best plan, but that isn't going to be straightforward. He has other plans, and they are going to have to play a game of belief/disbelief if they are to have any hope of getting back to their church. The horror aspects of this are not especially interesting - it's a sort of competent hybrid of "Escape Room" meets "Cluedo". What helps this stand out a bit more is a subtly menacing effort from Grant and the standard of the writing. The conversation between the three for the first half of the film is quite thought provoking in itself. It asks questions that are truly valid and worthy of consideration amongst those of or without organised faith. The assertions around "iterations", burgers and games of "Monopoly" also raise a few solid questions about carts and horses that I rather appreciated as we are invited to question or evaluate the whole scope of monotheistic religions and their role in our lives. The two women gel well together here too, realising that they are in some sort of peril - both intellectual and physical, and that latter threat is well demonstrated by some creepy settings and creatively used audio. I didn't love the conclusion - I actually found it really quite disappointing, as if Scott Beck had just run out of ideas or didn't quite have the courage of his earlier convictions, but this is the most substantial part I've seen Grant play in a while and he holds it together well. Not your typical psychological drama and worth a watch, I'd say.

This is a gruesome, bizarre, preposterous, and utterly watchable film. It is a twisted cocktail made surprisingly digestible thanks to Grant's impeccably dapper portrayal of pure malevolence. His performance brings a sinister charm that tempers the madness, making the film's more outlandish horrors feel almost refined.

In the new film “Heretic”, two missionaries named Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) spend their days in fellowship and looking to bring new members into their faith. Sister Paxton is the more sheltered of the two as Sister Barnes comes from the East Coast and joined the church through conversion and appears much wiser in the ways of the world to her colleague. Eager to get her first new member for Sister Paxton; the two venture to visit Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), who had earlier expressed interest in their church and as such; made his way onto the contact list for the girls. A storm arrives at the same time the girls do but unable to enter the home of Mr. Reed without a female being present; they are assured that his wife is baking in the kitchen and accept his offer to come in out of the weather. They find Mr. Reed charming and very well-versed in theology as he says that he has been studying religions for over a decade and his knowledge is very impressive to the girls yet his questions, answers, and tone start to become disturbing to the girls as does the absence of his wife whom he claims is just in the other room. Looking for a chance to leave, the girls discover that they are locked in and the house has a metal overlay that blocks their cell signals. Further complicating matters is the increasingly odd behavior of Mr. Reed who insists that they are free to leave at any time yet confronts them with all manner of theological questions, theories, and challenges at every turn. What follows is a chilling exercise in faith for the girls in a gripping film that keeps you guessing all along. The cast is solid and Grant is very good playing against type. This is not the usual psycho slasher that audiences often see in films of this type but a deep psychological game of terror and manipulation as he believes that he is helping the girls see the truth amongst all the dogma. The film does play a bit to Hollywood for my taste in the final act as certain revelations and outcomes went away from the clever premise that had been established in favor of more traditional situations, but the vast majority of the film was chilling, engaging, and captivating and was powered by strong performances all around. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods who also wrote the film; are no strangers to Horror and Suspense as their resumes are filled with some very tense films and have crafted a film that works as an intense thriller. 4 stars out of 5