A24 has been known for their unique titles released under their belt over the past years. Add “Heretic,” a 2024 film by directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, to that list. The film works with a small cast starring Sophie Thatcher as Sister Barnes, Chloe East as Sister Paxton and the star of the show Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed.
This film can be separated into two distinctive halves. The first half is an uncomfortably intense lecture on the existence or non-existence of God, whereas the second is more of the standard fabricated intensity that is unfortunately replicated over and over again in horror films today. Both halves of “Heretic” have their merit, but this film reaches its pinnacle much too early, leaving nothing left to say.
Utilizing warm tones and claustrophobic set design within Mr. Reed’s home, you immediately feel trapped with the protagonists. The home, while feeling “lived in,” can be drab at times if your eyes begin to wander. But that doesn’t happen often — a testament to the cinematography as well as the film’s standout performer: Hugh Grant.
Grant is devilishly bizarre in this piece and brings a charm and wit to the character of Mr. Reed that – if played straight – reads as nothing more than a run-of-the-mill creep. But with Grant’s great portrayal and a witty, sharp script, the character leaps off the screen to become a truly unique villain in this film.
An excellent script carries the film through its first half. And once our characters are in what I’ll call the “happening room,” the writing takes center stage. Pop culture references and ancient allegories that meditate on the question of: “What religion – if any – is right?” As the plot continues in this room, our characters are presented with a choice. This choice — no matter how they choose to solve — leads us into the much weaker second part of the film.
The set design, lighting, and color that was displayed in the first half of the film are sorely missed in the second half, which takes place in a dark black and blue basement surrounded by stone walls, two doors, and a skylight. Yuck. This can be seen as an allegory of descending into “hell” — we are dealing with religion after all, but this could’ve been more creative. Religion is a comfort, so give us a comforting room or give us a maze that our protagonists must solve to leave that will test their faith. The latter was more than suggested within the film’s marketing campaign. Somehow, subvert the audience’s expectations rather than the older creepy guy leading two women into a basement.
From here the film falls into modern horror movie tropes of artificial anticipation, blood, gore and shock value. The witty writing, and more importantly Mr. Reed, completely shifts to a more maniacal character and one that goes from very smart to harsh contrivances that are needed to move the plot forward. As the plot progresses, we are given yet another red herring to go along with a sea of them. When we reach our conclusion, it feels hollow as we spent so long getting built up for something, all for it to not pay off in the end.
Overall, “Heretic” is a strongly written film with great performances and an interesting message. Unfortunately, it lacks a huge punch to make it stand out among some of its horror compatriots.
