Heretic (2024)
First, we'd need to talk about the film's groundbreaking twist......(sorry, there's no way around it....)
Hugh does horror!
You heard that right. Hugh Grant, still as chatty, erudite, and charming as if he's still in 'Notting Hill' (albeit significantly older), plays his usual chatty, erudite charming self......
....but this time he's up from the depths of hell itself, giving a horrific Theology 101 course to two plucky but unlucky Mormon girls who come a knockin' on his door to spread the Gospel with sunny smiles and pamphlets...........
Watching the film unfold, you get the distinct feeling it was written for him and Grant truly goes to town turning his witty, conversational chit-chat into something progressively more sinister, threatening and finally.....deadly.
The girls are the sweetly naive Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and her more practical, no nonsense bestie Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher). They only accept the invitation to enter the expansive mansion of Mr. Reed (Grant) when he assures them he shares his home with a wife.
The wife never does put in an appearance as Mr. Reed's increasingly probing questions challenge the girls' devotion to their faith and the very tenets of Mormon doctrine. Ever so slowly, they begin to suspect (especially Sister Barnes) that there's something disturbing and dangerous in Reed's patter.
It's during this first third of the film that co-writers-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods lay out Reed's expert deconstruction and denunciation of all major religions and their teachings.
And then, boys and girls, comes the time to put away the verbose dramatics, whip out the sharp implements and go 'BOOGA BOOGA!!'
As you knew it would, the girls' attempted escapes through the twisty, creepy basement levels of Reed's mansion earn them scary lessons in the hypocrisies and shams of religious teachings. The desperate girls realize that a failing grade in Reed's Theology Undone seminar is not survivable.
And sorry to say, here's where this expertly set up film starts flying off the rails and jumping the shark. We've no problem with filmmakers Beck and Woods trotting out the familiar horror movie tropes........ jump scares, sudden shocking violence, and twist reveals of even worse things Reed's been up to.......
But they also, to their ruinous discredit, throw in the very worst of these tropes.......insulting their audience by.......well, let's put it this way, you've seen this kind of dumb stuff in the 'Halloween' movies and other low rent grindhouse slash-a-thons. Since 'Heretic' purports to be an intelligent, literate exercise, its abandon of common sense and logic stand out as a grievous betrayal.
On the positive side, though, we give a standing O to Hugh Grant, who takes his affable, beloved persona into the darkest territory imaginable. His Mr. Reed will now take a richly earned place in the pantheon of bone chilling Horror Villains. And special mention to rising star Sophie Thatcher who subtly evokes all the growing dread in her character as she realizes the depth of Reed's evil.
Seekers of what's known as 'elevated' horror won't want to pass this up. As for grindhouse gorehounds, know that this film will test your patience (and credulity) like no other, but see it anyway.
As for devoted Mormons? Uh.......nope. You're better off with 'Snow White'.
3 & 1/2 stars (***1/2)
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