Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton are missionaries with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Their efforts to recruit people to the church lead them face to face with the mysterious Mr. Reed. What was planned to be a brief mission visit quickly spirals out of control when Reed forces the young ladies to test their faith in what becomes a battle of wits, as they enter a cat-and-mouse game that will push the bounds of their faith to the limits. Will they escape the house and Mr. Reed’s trials with their lives?
When I saw the trailer for HERETIC, I was immediately fascinated. Hugh Grant always brings something special to his film roles, and the Mormon Church has long been criminally underrepresented in cinema and television (unless you count the works of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which actually DO get name-checked here!) While a bit uneven at times, HERETIC kept me on the edge of my seat, with an Oscar-worthy performance from Mr. Grant, and some fantastic work from relative newcomers Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher.
HERETIC runs both ends of the spectrum, from laugh-out-loud funny (a scene utilizing board games as metaphors for religions had me in stitches) to the intense and fearful. I’m not quite sure what HERETIC’s overall message is, even after having thought about the movie for the past two days, but it certainly has a lot to say. Even if you go in and hate the film, I have no doubt you’ll be talking or thinking about it long after it’s played. Beck and Woods’ film leaves an impact. Plain and simple. It keeps its story simple and its cast small; these play to the film’s advantage in the long run.
Hugh Grant gives the performance of his career as Mr. Reed, playing host to two young ladies and pushing their faith to its limits. I could never guess what this guy was going to do or say next; I can’t in all honesty name the last time a movie character scared me AND made me laugh as hard as he did. While obviously an antagonist, he’s just so damn charming. It’ll be criminal if he’s not, at the very least, nominated for an Oscar.
And then we have the other end of the spectrum. Thatcher and East are fantastic as two female Mormon missionaries who are brilliantly brought to life by a brilliant script. Very little of the movie is set outside of Mr. Reed’s house, but the opening scenes with the two of them set them up brilliantly; hearing their thoughts on some more adult themes manages to be absolutely hilarious. Coming from a predominantly Mormon family on both sides, some of these moments felt quite familiar and hit close to home. The two don’t even always agree despite their close bond, which makes for some great gripping moments and uncertainty, further keeping the viewer glued to the screen. Not only does HERETIC feature some great performances from its leads; it’s a great example of both female and Mormon representation on the big screen. In all my years of watching movies, I can’t name a single other title that featured female LDS missionaries. Hell, for that matter I can’t name very many that even have male ones.
While I did love HERETIC, some scenes admittedly don’t work as well as others. Topher Grace is wasted as a fellow LDS member who is barely in the movie at all, and the ending did feel a bit underwhelming after all we endured throughout the lengthy and intense duration; you may walk away with more questions than answers. That said, I’m still quite satisfied with the end result.
HERETIC is Hugh Grant at his finest; this guy’s still going strong and gives the performance of his career here. And Thatcher and East are no less excellent! It’s an intense movie that never lets up, combining a gripping premise with some unexpected (but welcomed) humor. And somehow, most of it works. If you want a thriller with some long overdue Mormon representation on the big screen, HERETIC fits the bill nicely.