Heretic: A Great Meditation On Questioning Faith, A Decent Horror Flick
One of the most important things you can do as a person of faith is to question your faith. A lot of people in the modern church find the word ‘deconstruction’ to be an evil one, because several who go through the process of deconstruction end up leaving the faith altogether. Deconstruction shouldn’t be shown as an evil thing however, questioning what you’ve grown up to believe can only strengthen your convictions if you approach it with honesty.
In the newest A24 horror film Heretic, we follow two Mormon girls, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as they arrive to the house of a strange man named Mr. Reed who wants to test their faith to its absolute limit, played by Hugh Grant. What ensues is a great cat-and-mouse chase as Mr. Reed critiques and deconstructs the ideas the two girls have been taught to believe their whole lives and now are forced to truly examine what they believe in order to survive.
I liked Heretic a lot, but I almost loved it. Heretic has a great movie inside of it and the best aspects of this film lie in its screenwriting. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the directors and screenwriters for the film - have certainly penned a provocative piece that will have some people of faith squirming in their seats. Allegories for Monopoly Games and scents of blueberry pie carry a lot of weight. There’s a lot of moments in here I can see standing the test of time as iconic film shots. Doors that simply state ‘belief’ and ‘disbelief’ as Mr. Reed stands in the middle of them, beckoning the two girls which one to choose is a striking film image I won’t soon forget.
This film works best when it’s horrific aspects are subtle. Simply, being stuck in a strange man’s house and having to escape while everything you’ve ever believed in is being questioned is enough to make a great psychological horror movie. However, the second half takes a distinct turn as we see the film turn into full fledged horror and this is where it lost me a little bit. Not that this section of the movie is bad. It’s actually really solid horror and brings up a lot of thoughtful and honest questions. Even some of the twists and turns the film takes in its last third I found to be really thrilling and cleverly executed. It’s just not as compelling once we know what the monster looks like is all.
Hugh Grant gives one of the best performances of his career in the film, absolutely chewing up the scenery. He’s going back to his villain roles akin to the new Dungeons and Dragons movie and Paddington 2 - but here he takes that character archetype and takes it to the next level. For a lot of the movie, he seems sensible and even sympathetic - leering underneath a more sinister side. This made the character a really compelling villain and added a lot to the films overall suspense in the first part. When the second half dives more into horror troupes however, that momentum dies down a little.
Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher are also excellent in the film. It’s great to see how Sister Barnes is so steadfast in her religion that she doesn’t easily get offended by much and even says she enjoys a musical like The Book of Mormon, while Sister Paxton is so defensive of her faith and is sensitive because she herself is not as steadfast and is afraid of being confronted for it. This made for a compelling character arc that is thoughtful - which is more than we usually have for the protagonists of a horror movie.
A lot of people will complain that the ending of the film provides a major dues ex machina and while it does, I actually think the film sets up the gun on the mantelpiece enough to make it work. How the film concludes isn’t just a convenience, it helps wrap up and help sell the theme of the film in a satisfying way. The final shot is strikingly poignant - showing that while the filmmaking duo here does have a lot of questions about faith they aren’t against the concept. There’s a genuine hope and love for these characters and a respect for their uncompromising faith even under the scariest of situations. This is ultimately what makes Heretic a solid horror movie and a compelling piece on religion all the same.
