Heretic

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods' theological deconstruction fails to fit within a film

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods had been making films as a duo for some time before they broke through as the screenwriters of A Quiet Place (2018). After their success penning the first two films of that franchise, they jumped back in the director’s chair, but their return yielded the disappointing 65 (2023). Their next attempt to helm a film has arrived as Heretic (2024).

Heretic follows two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) who are unfortunate to knock on the door of the seemingly affable Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). Little do they know the game of cat-and-mouse that Mr. Reed will play and as a result push them to question their faith.

Heretic is a horror-thriller focused on its ideas and rhetoric more than plot and character. The first half is a fascinating deconstruction of organized religion, as a video essay it would have worked perfectly arguing the ways that religions emulate and copy of each other, and a deeper question into the essence of faith. However, Heretic forgets that it is a narrative film at many points. For much of the first half, Grant is speaking non-stop with the Sisters limited to listening and reacting. There isn’t any plot or character development, making you question why this particular thesis is being told as a narrative film.

The second half of the film changes abruptly, almost as if Beck and Woods had been reminded by producers that they needed to give viewers horror entertainment. As such the latter half is completely incongruous to the beginning, featuring a more classic use of violence, traps, and dread. Thankfully, Beck and Woods don’t stoop to utilizing jump-scares to heighten thrills, instead using clever camera work and claustrophobia. Beck and Woods also do a great job at playing with expectations of horror movies, taking inspiration from Psycho (1960) and Barbarian (2022) as horror movies breaking the rules of their genre.

However, the abrupt changes in the second part of Heretic betray the tone, character motivations, and central thesis of Mr. Reed’s monologues, making it a completely detached storyline. The attempts at connecting thematically to the subject matter are poorly rendered as if the filmmakers were dragging their feet to do so rather than being struck by divine inspiration.

Thatcher and East are compelling as our central characters, showcasing a chemistry between them as well as being easy viewer surrogates. However, this is Grant’s film. Heretic finds Grant delivering a surprisingly committed and subtle performance, where he delivers lengthy speeches written academically, yet has viewers hanging on to his every word. As the film shifts into its different second half, he obligingly turns into a more maniacal villain, although equally relishing in it as well.

In the end, Heretic is a film whose first half deconstruction of theology will leave viewers with much material to think and discuss. However, Beck and Woods struggle to turn their idea into a comprehensive narrative that envelops their ideas and questions consistently with their plot and characters. As it stands, Heretic would work brilliantly as an article or video essay, but as a narrative film, struggles to be cohesive.

6.5/10