Heretic movie review: Intriguing in parts, snooze-inducing in parcels

Heretic review

The first frame shows sister Barnes and sister Paxton, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East respectively, thoughtfully discussing sex and intercourse. A poster of a condom on their bench consumes our view when they are planning to visit this man with the pamphlets of the church. They head towards the mansion of Mr. Reeds enshrouded with an ominous surrounding and incessant rains. The initial appearance of Reeds hints to a very accessible and amicable man, the living room bursts with the aroma of a blueberry pie being prepared in the oven but slowly he transitions to a diabolic figure when he throws uncomfortable question and comments to the girls on religion and belief in God. They try hard to escape but their attempt lands them in a dungeon when Reeds offers them to choose any one among the two doors, which eventually lead to the same deadly destination, making it as the intricately rigged home of Belief and Disbelief.

Director duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods construct an intriguing set up with chilling atmospherics as a nod to A24’s production sensibilities, while teasing the idea of divine intervention and questioning the power of faith and religion. What doesn’t work in the favour of the film is its dark and dim-lit surrounding giving a sense of claustrophobia and its sluggish pace. However, these shortcomings are glossed by an exceptional performance by Hugh Grant. Rendering a cheerfully flamboyant and unassuming dimension of Reeds, Grant masterfully peels of the layers of complexity of his character with his poise intact, exuding a deeply fascinating menace. Beck and Woods who have also written the film, make him a plausible figure of rationale countered with insanity and sinister. While successfully working out the overarching set of metaphors and symbolisms (Monopoly game, Butterfly dream) the duo draws out earnest performances from Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher.

Heretic review – final words

Heretic navigates through twists and turns at a feeble pace, its open-ended ending leaves you conflicted with multiple interpretations, but the idea of exploring faith and religious themes in a palatable way is brave and bold.

Going with 3 stars out of 5 for Heretic. The 1-hour 52-minute film is produced by A24 films and running in theatres from 13th December 2024.