Heretic

Heretic is the latest from A24, starring Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East. Sister Barnes (Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (East) visit door-to-door with people who have expressed interest in learning more about the Church of Latter Day Saints In the hopes of getting Sister Paxton her first baptism. The first house they arrive at is with a man named Mr. Reed (Grant) who invites them in to talk deeper on religion and puts them in a cat-and-mouse game for survival.

I'm a big fan of movies that utilize a single location and this delivered on that. As the two ladies arrive they examine what seems to be a small house not knowing of the maze inside they are about to endure. Mr. Reed seems to be a normal, married man with a hunger to learn more about religion. Inviting them in for a slice of pie and to talk further he quickly begins to test their knowledge of Mormonism. The back-and-forth dialog in the first act is well-written and paced in a way that drives up the tension as the viewer does not know what could happen next. The girls are quick to realize they are in danger and begin their discussion of how to get out of the house. As they enter the next room with Mr. Reed the movie does feel like this could go into an escape room route. In a sense, this is like that as he states they can leave at any time but also jumps to continue his game with them. His focus is to pressure them into answering what they believe the one, true religion is that he states he has discovered through years and years of study. As we get into the final act things begin to seem a bit rushed and lazy. The performances and acting continued to keep me glued to the screen, but the large plot holes crumbled the film at the end. Religion is always a tough subject but the writing in this is some of the best I've seen and the use of bringing in pop culture to add comedy was great. In the end, this still feels like a pretty standard, safe blueprint movie but the acting and use of religion plus pop culture in a single location make for a very entertaining watch. Hugh Grant is the standout for sure and I could see many wanting more performances like this from him in the future. Rating: 3.5/5