Unwrapping the brutal fallacy of religion, “Heretic” puts viewers on a rollercoaster that loops at every turn.
“Heretic” follows Sister Barnes (Sophia Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) as they follow their routine door-to-door missionary work, leading them to Mr.Reed (Hugh Grant). The pair are quickly thrown into a horrifying game of intellect and must rely on their faith and intuition to escape.
A24’s new film is a riveting experience that keeps viewers glued to the edge of their seats. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods create a disconcerting world that keeps the viewer second-guessing what’s happening.
The two directors carefully craft their camera movements to further disorientate audiences, pushing them further into a gut-churning uneasiness. The ever-constant puts audiences into a state of fight-or-flight. Because of the atmosphere created by the camera work, viewers never have a moment to rest.
Hugh Grant provides a haunting performance that ties the film into a neat bow. While some were skeptical about Grant’s casting, it was the perfect decision as he fully delves into the theologian’s mind. Grant creates a perfect balance of intelligence and psychosis that slowly morphs into sociopathic tendencies, which is almost hypnotizing to watch unfold.
Sophia Thatcher and Chloe East deliver unexpectedly strong performances. The pair play off of each other well, creating a stiff but affectionate relationship. Thatcher throws herself into the performance of the young, yet successful, missionary sister Barnes, crafting a head-strong intellect that rivals Mr. Reed’s.
Chloe East plays naive sister Paxton, who has an optimistic outlook but is quick to bend to the environment around her. However, Chloe East does not play this one-dimensionally. Paxon has multiple layers and is a firecracker waiting to burst.
While “Heretic” is a hair-raising time, it does have a fair share of grievances.
The film works hard to build the ideal setting, though it often can’t keep itself serious.
Beck and Woods take the time to build up a tone and keep viewers on the edge of their seats, yet they burn it all down in one single joke. Some could argue that its comedy is to ‘reset’ the mood so it can build up again, but all it truly does is push viewers out of the carefully crafted immersion.
Although “Heretic” has a consistently strong plot, the same cannot be said for its pacing. The beginning drags for so long that it feels like watching a completely different movie when the second half begins.
The second act picks up the pace, but it’s skimmed past so quickly that there is no time to truly digest all the horrors that are thrown at the audience. As the film crawls to the ending, viewers are kicked into yet another stunted act.
The ending feels incredibly rushed, almost like the directors were running out of time and were looking for an exit. The final shot — without giving too much away — feels like a completely different film than the rest of the movie.
Aside from some hardships, “Heretic” offers an enthralling story and impressive acting while juggling a masterful twist. The film is one of 2024’s most enticing horror features and is worth the trip.
Heretic was released Nov. 8 and is in theaters now.