There is one question that is a shadow over the human experience. What is the meaning of life?
This is a concept theologians have been debating for centuries. A24’s new horror film Heretic doesn’t exactly answer that question, but it does pose many relevant and thought-provoking ideas that follow the viewer long after the credits have rolled.
Hugh Grant terrifies in the role of the unsettling Mr. Reed, the last stop of the day for Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) as they spread the word for the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This concept could have easily maligned the LDS church as works such as The Book of Mormon have done in the past. Instead, Heretic pulls an amazing hat trick. The film weaves a genuinely terrifying psychological tale while humanizing the religion at the center of it. Barnes and Paxton are young girls in the church, trying to find converts. However, as they sit on a bench in the beginning scenes, the discussion of their faith offers a different perspective that those outside the church may not consider.
This complex perspective on religion is followed throughout the film as they visit Mr. Reed, who has requested information about the faith. Though they are not supposed to enter a home without a woman present, Mr. Reed promises his wife is inside. The ensuing storm and promise of following the rules leads the Sisters into a trap.
Once inside, Mr. Reed ensnares them into a conversation, purposefully testing their devotion. The following film raises the complexities of religion in a truly fascinating way that also increases fear from the viewer. Heretic hinges on the performance of Grant, who many may be startled to see step out of his romantic comedy origins. Grant still employs the humor that he is known for, but here it makes the dark moments of the film all the more insidious.
As commanding as Grant in the role is, he meets his match in the performers who portray Barnes and Paxton. While the Sisters are admittedly at a disadvantage at first, they refuse to be beaten by the older gentleman. Thatcher in particular demonstrates her depth as a performer, bringing humanity to the religious community. Similarly, East plays the younger Paxton, who seems meek at the beginning of the film but becomes a force to be reckoned with as the hours race by.
These three actors are instrumental in pulling off the true terror at the center of Heretic. Horror films full of jump scares and predictable thrills are often in the zeitgeist. Heretic does the harder thing, and masterfully so. The film is terrifying because of the dread that drags the protagonists through Mr. Reed’s house. Nothing is threatening to jump out from the shadows. The terror is derived from Grant’s foreboding presence and the fear of what religion can bear. The climax of Heretic isn’t about escaping some literal monster but becomes a battle of wits between the patriarch of the house and the Sisters. The tension builds and builds until the final moments of the film.
But while the dialogue is razor-sharp and the performances beyond reproach, the culmination of the film falters slightly. Heretic hovers around the question if there is one true god or not. Mr. Reed offers one perspective and the girls offer another. But it isn’t totally clear what the film itself is trying to imply. Without getting into spoiler territory, the ambiguous nature of the end could be interpreted that there is no right or wrong answer. People believe what they will. But if this was the thesis, the ending confuses this message.
If Heretic has accomplished one thing, however, it is raising many questions that are impossible to not mull over. Mr. Reed has gotten to us all, demanding that we question our own beliefs. And there is no point to art if it doesn’t raise questions.