Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
Plot: Two young religious women are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a strange man.
Review: How strong is your faith? This was my takeaway from Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ thriller/horror Heretic. And this is the type of story that leaves viewers discussing it for days after as they debate the message behind the madness.
Starring Hugh Grant who has been cutting it up of late playing all types of different characters – good and not so good – but all with that charm and charisma that made him a mainstay in early 90’s romantic comedies. This time around he stands squarely in the villain box as a man who after inviting two young female missionaries into his home, traps them there and forces them to choose between their beliefs and his own.
Mr Reed (Grant) wants to prove to young Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher of MaXXXine, Yellowjackets) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East of True Blood, The Wolf of Snow Hollow) that God doesn’t exist, religion is a farce, and faith is a construct used to manipulate the masses. But what seems like a simple case of a madman trying to break two innocent young women develops into something much more sinister and my favourite aspect of the whole affair is watching this movie effortless jump from genre (thriller) to genre (horror) to genre (mystery).
Just when you think you have a handle on where things might be going, it pulls the trap door handle and sends you crashing down (in the best ways). Throw in Hugh Grant in his most unsettling performance to date and two young women, Thatcher and East, who I honestly would watch in their own spin-off show that follows them around as they face off against evil, and you have one of the strongest thrillers of the year.
Using a single location also keeps things uncomfortably intimate between the trio with the house itself being a character akin to something infamous serial killer HH Holmes might have built. The editing, directing and cinematography come together to make this particular home feel infinitely large yet very claustrophobic.
My one complaint (which is probably more nitpicking than anything else) is the ending felt a bit incomplete. Well, “incomplete” might not be the right word here; it was more like it came on too quickly while also taking away a bit from the nuance and intriguing cat-and-mouse of it all by bringing a sudden end to the game.
My nitpicking aside, the film is a delightful and twisted look at belief and the people and mechanisms that might be behind those beliefs. Intellectual and engaging while never really taking any one side, Heretic is methodical filmmaking at its best and one those genre entries that once again shows horror can and is more than just blood and gore. It can also be the “seemingly friendly neighbour who is less Mr Rogers and more Jigsaw if John Kramer had a house full of traps, Monopoly board games and a penchant for religious debate that ends in murder”.
Sommer’s Score: 8 out of 10
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More