Hugh Grant is Deliciously Diabolical in Heretic

Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) are cheerfully going about their mission to spread good news about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Working down a list of doors to knock on, they arrive at the quiet suburban house of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), who seems not only polite and hospitable but also genuinely fascinated by the history and teachings of Mormonism.

In fact, Mr. Reed is quite knowledgeable about all the world’s major religions and is eager to discuss them with the women. Perhaps too eager. With the rain coming down outside and Mr. Reed’s wife making pie in the next room, the setting is utterly cozy. The only thing that could spoil it would be if Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes wanted to leave.

Half the fun of Heretic is waiting to see where it leads you next. Deliciously dark, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods take the familiar horror/thriller and turn it on its head, while their characters ask serious questions about the role of faith and piety in a world rendered incomprehensible by chaos and violence. It’s a chilling, provocative thrill ride, and it showcases Grant’s immense talents.  Hugh Grant in a brilliantly against-type performance, providing an ominous creepy character for the thriller archives.

Between discussion on condoms, polygamy, the breakdown of major religions through Monopoly while The Hollies “The Air That I Breathe lurks in the background, Heretic is a fiendishly irreverent tale of battling convictions that come to head in the most revealing manner ever.  Not to mention Grant’s perverse use of humor with Radiohead lyrics to ‘Creep’, Jar Jar Binks impersonation all swirling around the terror makes his character frightening beyond measure.

Yet, his co-stars Thatcher and East are equally as commanding.  Each actress with an understanding of their characters strengths and weaknesses that will keep the audience riveted for the next glance or word.  The combination of Grant, Thatcher and East is unstoppable and brilliant casting.  At the end of the day, we are left with the question of what is easier to control light or dark and in what form would you believe can control the narrative of your life spiritually and emotionally.Heretic is a weird and thrilling ride into the unknown yet familiar worlds of religion filtered through a lens that has yet to have been discovered until now.