Last week, on Nov.8, A24, a well-known entertainment company, released Heretic, its newest horror film. The word Heretic refers to a person who does things that most people would consider morally wrong, and I feel this title perfectly encapsulates the meaning of the movie.
The plot follows two young Mormon missionaries who knock on a seemingly welcoming man’s door, but it reveals he is not as welcoming as he seems, and he traps the girls to teach them the true meaning of religion.
Hugh Grant plays Mr. Reed, the main antagonist, a seemingly friendly old man interested in Mormonism. It was an unusual casting, especially for an actor who mainly does rom-coms. In doing so, Heretic showed off the duality of his acting. I enjoyed the light humor that his character displayed while being incredibly serious.
The two protagonists Sophie Thatcher who played sister Barnes and Chole East who played Sister Paxton complimented each other very well. I thought that it was clever that the two characters were essentially opposites. Sister Barnes had a very dark color palate and Sister Paxton’s was pastel. Sister Barnes was a lot more reserved, and Sister Paxton was more open, and so on. I feel like this was a hidden but obvious way of displaying the juxtaposition of the two characters and representing the different types of people that worship.
Watching the interactions between the three characters was very satisfying. Everyone worked well together and the dynamic between Sister Paxton and Mr. Reed was very exciting to watch unfold.
In addition, I liked how the personalities and motives of each character were slowly revealed. Nothing was 100% clear about the characters which made the movie more thrilling and suspenseful. Watching Heretic was like piecing together a puzzle which I think is both an impressive thing to be done for a movie and makes the watching experience more fun.
Overall, I’d say this movie was a masterpiece, it was beautifully written and very detail-oriented. With each watch, you’ll notice more details that contribute to the overall message. If you’re the type of person who wants to question life after a movie, I’d definitely recommend Heretic.
