‘Heretic’ Review: A Sinister Hugh Grant and Warm Blueberry Pie Make for a Deliciously Entertaining Feast | AFI FEST

Religion has long been a staple of horror, with its supernatural tales, gothic iconography, and the ultimate fight between good and evil. Where most religiously-themed horror films use the familiarity of Catholicism and the occult, Heretic, the new film from directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods goes in an entirely new direction, centering on two Mormon missionaries who visit the wrong house.

This may surprise a lot of people, but very few 20-year-olds actually want to knock on strangers’ doors and talk about church. It is difficult to describe the feeling of standing on a doorstep, name tag affixed to your coat, wondering who will answer the door and whether they will listen to what you have to say or chase you away – sometimes violently. For kids growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, missions are not required, though they are encouraged for a number of reasons. Conversion is a goal, yes, but personal, spiritual, and even professional growth are the most important outcomes.

In the opening scene of Heretic, Sister Paxton (Chloe East, The Fabelmans) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher, Yellowjackets) sit on a park bench in the wintry Colorado town where they are serving. They have a very awkward conversation about pornography that leads to Sister Paxton asking her companion, “How has God shown you?” It begins as a frustratingly infantile discussion, which is why it was such a pleasant surprise to see the film almost immediately shift into a fairly accurate and realistic depiction of the daily life of a Mormon missionary. 

As the clouds roll in and daylight wanes, Sisters Paxton and Barnes knock on the door of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), following up on his own request for a visit. He invites them in and they tell him they have a rule against being alone with a man. He explains that his wife is inside and they follow him into a cozy front room with the promise of fresh baked blueberry pie and shelter from the rain pouring outside. 

Possessing all the charm that made him a romantic comedy star, Hugh Grant is the perfect choice for the role of Mr. Reed. His seemingly kind demeanor immediately puts Sister Paxton at ease. Sister Barnes is a little more guarded, although she is delighted when Mr. Reed pulls out a thoroughly notated copy of the Book of Mormon. “I think you’ve studied more than we have!” she says. Grant’s crooked grin and self-deprecating humor draw them in. The viewer knows there is something sinister behind the affable chatter, but it’s easy to understand why the sisters would trust him so easily.

The ensuing conversation is remarkable not for its content, but for its familiarity. As a young Mormon missionary once myself, I sat in many living rooms and discussed religion – both the general concept and the specifics of my own. Some of these chats were friendly and insightful. Others were antagonistic, uncomfortable, and occasionally mean-spirited. Beck and Woods, who wrote the script in addition to co-directing, clearly did their homework with regards to the actual experience of Latter-Day Saint missionary service. There are certain aspects that don’t quite fit, which is to be expected when taking a very specific and lesser-known experience and sending it out into the mainstream. But I have wracked my brain and cannot figure out who Topher Grace’s Elder Kennedy is supposed to represent or why the sisters would be cleaning the church every evening beyond the shorthand this provides for someone to immediately notice the girls are missing. Grace’s only real function is a plot device, and that is okay. The story isn’t about Elder Kennedy or anyone in the outside world finding two people who have disappeared. It’s about what is happening to them inside the house.

Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East are excellent, each bringing depth and nuance to roles that could have been reduced to naive caricatures. Thatcher’s Sister Barnes is complex, smart, and already a bit world-weary, despite her young age. East imbues the younger, more sheltered Sister Paxton with a cheery optimism, though she is not stupid. It may take her a bit longer to sense danger than her more cynical companion, but she still has the ability to pay attention and figure things out. 

Heretic has been described as the “Mormon missionary horror movie,” though it barely qualifies as a horror movie. It is tense and sometimes frightening, but really falls more in the realm of a well-crafted thriller. It also isn’t really about Mormonism either. Instead, Beck and Woods have constructed an amusement park funhouse in which religion is a personal and acceptable choice and the villain is not simply another religion or the absence of it, but the assumption that those who follow are compelled to. In the LDS church, young men are generally encouraged to serve while it is less common and less expected for women. The decision to center this film on two young women provides a strong counter-argument to Mr. Reed’s own version of one true religion and deepens the narrative Beck and Woods have constructed.

From the title Heretic (a word not used in Mormonism) to the trailer that seemed to depict Mormons as silly and naive, I went into the AFI Fest premiere prepared to bristle at the way my church, with all its problems and uncomfortable history, would be presented. After watching this entertaining and intelligent film, and seeing a version of my own experiences reflected at me, I can happily consider myself converted.

Grade: A–

A24 will release Heretic only in theaters on November 8.

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Karen Peterson

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