Can your faith stand up to facts?  Does the truth matter if someone is confident in their beliefs?  Can an honest search for the one true religion drive a man to madness?  A24’s creepy new thriller “Heretic” challenges the audience with these questions and more.

“Heretic” is co-written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the writing team behind “A Quiet Place.”  Like that movie, they use again enthrall us with just a handful of well developed characters.  Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are Mormon missionaries in a small town, trying to share their faith with others.   Sister Paxton is innocent, naïve, and very much a true believer.  Sister Barnes has an air of seriousness, is more true, and it’s hard to tell what she puts her faith in.   Their final stop of the day is at home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), a man who had left a request for a visit.   At first, he seems friendly enough, but then as he begins to ask very specific questions about their beliefs, it becomes apparent this is more than just a friendly chat.  Mr. Reed has been on a quest to find the one true religion, and he doesn’t believe that Mormonism, or any other current religion is it.  Over the course of the night, he will challenge everything the two young women believe.

Taking place almost entirely within a single location, and with only three main characters, “Heretic” feels as if it was written for the stage.  It doesn’t rely on extravagant sets or a plethora of side characters.  Instead, the brilliant script draws us in with compelling discussions, and deep dive into what motivates each character.  It’s rare that dialog is written that has multiple opposing viewpoints making very valid statements.  Regardless of what your current belief system is, this movie will engage your mind.  Of course, it doesn’t matter how good a script is, if the actors aren’t convincing.  Thankfully, each of the three deliver remarkable performances, stealing the screen from one another like bandits.  It’s amazing to watch Hugh Grant lean into his routine charm with just a glint of malice behind his eyes that runs chills down your spine.  Both  and  are actual ex-Mormons, which no doubt helped with their pitch-perfect portrayals.

There are only a few small missteps that makes this movie less than perfect.  After building a lot of tension, right around the midway point, the pacing drastically drops off.  There’s a lull in the middle that extinguishes some of that tension.  Sure, it’s the calm before the storm, but it allows the audience to relax instead of keeping the screws tight.  The other issue isn’t with the movie at all, but with the marketing.  A few key scenes in the trailer imply the house is more than just a house.  While it does have a few idiosyncrasies, it’s just the apostate’s abode.

This movie isn’t for everyone, but it’s a mind bending treat for those who believes their faith is strong enough.

 

Heretic
4.5