Hugh Grant gives a freakish and incredibly off-putting performance as Mr Reed, as he lures two young Mormon missionaries into his house of horrors. His costume and overall characterisation hide his strangeness behind an intellectual grandfather persona - adding to the incredible building of suspense this film captures.
Despite being inherently creepy, Grant manages to add beautiful depth to his character through humour. The millennial references to Lana Del Rey, Creep by Radiohead and Jar Jar Binks make his causation of multiple crises of faith hilarious. Mr Reed is a typical nice guy, pretending to be woke and educated so that he can trap women in his belief experiment.
Alongside the phenomenal performance from Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East provide an empathetic duo of religious followers - foregrounded by their initial discussions of the magnum condom. The two characters provide an excellent balance between faith and disbelief, with roles reversing and muddling throughout.
Perfectly humorous, perfectly suspenseful, and masterfully acted
The use of weather and sound adds perfectly to the disturbing setting of Mr Reed’s house - with the thundering storm and loud silences making an audience shiver. The use of body horror to imply religious miracles is an excellent tool in the film’s exploration of belief, using reality to prove incorporeal circumstances.
However the film dives into religion and blind faith in a man-made church, it does not appear to wholly criticise religion. The Mormon girls are never berated for their faith, nor do they appear idiotic because of it - the film walks this line through balanced intellectual debate.
Perfectly humorous, perfectly suspenseful, and masterfully acted - Heretic is a must-see film for horror enjoyers and theologists alike.
