Heretic
Content Advisory: Kidnapping
Two Mormon missionaries find themselves in a deadly game to prove their faith in Heretic. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are two Mormon missionaries who visit the house of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). At first, Mr. Reed seems to be an incredibly kind man, who entertains the girls with theological discussion, while waiting for Mr. Reed’s wife to deliver a blueberry pie. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Mr. Reed has no intentions of letting Barnes and Paxton leave his house unless they participate in his cat-and-mouse game to uncover the one true religious faith.
Heretic Synopsis
Heretic is a theological horror film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place). The film stars Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets, The Boogeyman) and Chloe East (The Fabelmans) as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, two young Mormon missionaries who are requested to visit the house of Mr. Reed, wickedly played by Hugh Grant. Mr. Reed has spent most of his life studying theology to find the one true religion and he tells Barnes and Paxton that he has unfortunately found it.
Sister Barnes begins to sense something is off when she realizes the sense of a blueberry pie supposedly cooking in the oven is a scented candle. Barnes and Paxton try to leave the house through the front door, but they find it to be bolted shut. Mr. Reed tells them they are free to leave through the back of the house, however, the girls are led into an underground maze, where their faith is tested through various deadly games.
My Thoughts on Heretic
Heretic is a cleverly written theological horror film that simultaneously criticizes religious belief without outright condemning those who do believe. Arguably one of the film’s best sequences comes early on in Mr. Reed’s theological game when he tries to argue that all the religions of the world are just interpolations of the same basic mythology, with the “Big Three” of Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam being equated to different iterations of the board game Monopoly. However, Sister Barnes can see through Mr. Reed’s shallow hypothesis and offer a very compelling counterargument.
I don’t want to get too much further into how the plot of Heretic develops, which does end up playing somewhat with viewer expectations, particularly involving the casting of the film. Speaking of casting, Heretic also features an unrecognizable Topher Grace as Elder Kennedy, whose search for Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton forms a subplot in the film. The film also has a few other characters who show up in surprising roles.
Ultimately, Heretic balances on a very fine line, where Mr. Reed seems to be arguing in favour of atheism, though Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton remain unwavering in their own personal faith. This leads towards an ending for Heretic, which is sure to be greatly debated by those who watch the films. One thing for sure is that Heretic is a well-done horror film that will leave you thinking about the whole concept of religion.
Trailer for Heretic
