Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we can almost smell it — the intoxicating aromas filling our homes with the scent of a perfectly stuffed, juicy turkey roasting in the oven, soft and savory mashed potatoes, and, of course, the deliciously sweet fragrance of cranberry sauce.
If reading that made you particularly excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving feast, get ready because I might just be about to ruin it for you — especially if blueberry pie is a staple in your household. As it turns out, you might experience the smell of blueberry pie without having to bake it yourself, simply by heading to the theater to watch Hugh Grant‘s new and terrifying film, Heretic.
Set for release on November 8, Heretic has a simple yet chilling premise. It tells the story of two young female missionaries who, against all odds, knock on the door of the “diabolical” Mr. Reed (played by Grant) and find themselves trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse, according to the IMDb description. Now, you may be wondering: Where on earth do blueberry pie and trauma come into play? Well, allow us to explain.
As it turns out, Heretic includes a chilling scene in which Mr. Reed assures the young missionaries that his wife is in the kitchen baking a blueberry pie, allowing them to enter his home — since, for religious reasons, they couldn’t enter a man’s house without a woman present. However, once inside, the young women notice that there’s only a blueberry pie-scented candle in the room, with no wife or actual pie in sight.
For this particular scene, A24 — the company responsible for bringing this thriller to life — partnered with Joya Studio to create multi-sensory screenings, exclusively at Alamo Drafthouse theaters nationwide, for a limited time. On October 30, advance screenings of Heretic will be held at Alamo Drafthouse theaters, and sure enough, during the blueberry pie candle scene, audiences will begin to smell blueberry pie.
Regarding the logistics, Joya Studio uses a cutting-edge yet simple technique to fill the theater with the aroma. The studio uses atomization technology, which entails the use of cold-air diffusion to disperse scented molecules as fine, dry air without the use of heat, water, or alcohol to activate. If you’re impressed, we have to let you know that this isn’t the first time Joya Studio has teamed up with A24 either.
In 2022, the studio collaborated with A24 to create candles (scentless, we assume) based on the butt plug trophy from Everything Everywhere All at Once. These sensory experiences are not only incredibly alluring but they’re also highly effective marketing tools — the best of both worlds. If this interests you and you’re hoping to get tickets for the advance screenings, you still can by visiting the Alamo Drafthouse website, with prices ranging from around $14.50 to $31.40.
While speaking to Variety, directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods shared that the blueberry candle is a “a metaphor for blind faith and a disturbing reminder to question everything,” and that the very idea of a blueberry pie aroma made them cackle with laughter. “When we first heard A24’s bold idea to resurrect the multi-sensory experience to underline this crucial sequence it made us howl with laughter.”
If you were hoping to be fully traumatized by Mr. Reed and his fake blueberry pie but don’t have an Alamo Drafthouse theater nearby, don’t be too disappointed. You can still enjoy an immersive experience elsewhere. Specifically, if your local theater hosts advanced screenings, you may also have access to exclusive treats and scratch-and-sniff cards available for viewers. Fun!
