I’ve got to admit, other than looking forward to seeing Hugh Grant once again step away from the more expected typecasting to a darker, more insidious role, I wasn’t hugely excited to see “Heretic.” Call me grouchy, but I’m fed up with religious horror movies—there’s only so many exorcism and nun films I can take (absolutely nothing against nuns, just to clarify). So, the title “Heretic” didn’t exactly fill me with joy.
And I must confess, despite its showering’s of approval, “Heretic” didn’t quite satisfy that horror itch for me. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly offers something new for the religious horror genre and invites some genuinely thought-provoking scenes. And I’m also well aware others have deemed it to be a tense, on the edge of your seat kind of thrill ride. But honestly? I mostly coasted through without any real emotional investment or attachment (though perhaps that says more about me than the film…).
Hugh Grant Tries Out the Villain
The story centres around two young missionary girls: the confident and brazen Sister Paxon (Chloe East) and the earnest yet timid Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) who find themselves knocking on the door of Mr Reed (Hugh Grant) upon his calling request. Reed invites them to come and shelter from the snowstorm outside whilst his so-called wife—they can only enter if he is married—bakes a delicious blueberry pie (and who can resist that?). However, events soon take a dark turn, and the girls get more than they bargained for (*spoiler* not the pie).
Hugh Grant is, in my opinion, as he is in every other film; he could essentially be the sly yet charming Daniel Cleaver from “Bridget Jones’ Diary,” only a few years older and with much worse dress sense. I appreciate he fit the bill as the villain of the show for many, but for me, he just didn’t have that edge, that sheer creepiness that makes you involuntarily shudder. In fact, I have to say, the first 30-45 minutes of the film I could have quite happily dozed off, if I wasn’t so cold in the cinema (sort it out, Cineworld).
As the girls sit awkwardly on the sofa, Reed begins to quiz them on their religious beliefs. He argues that all religions are in essence adaptations of one another, donning the role of the intellectual, well-versed gentleman enlightening those who sit ignorant before him, whilst claiming to have found the ‘one true religion’. It all drags and goes on a bit; and if I’m honest, I found myself wanting him to just get on with it.
Questioning What’s Around Us
Eventually, Reed leads the girls into his study where he has laid out a little game for them: to leave, they must choose to walk through one of two doors. From here, the girls are led into a basement where they encounter a real life ‘prophet’ who, Reed claims, can reveal and prove to them the miracle of resurrection. I won’t give away any spoilers, but it all turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse when the girls question and reject what they are seeing.
And this is where I think the film does stand strong—all is certainly not as it seems as we are encouraged to question what we are seeing from the very offset. The blueberry pie the girls can smell in fact turns out to be a candle emitting the smell (I have to admit, that is a great idea). The ominous figure standing in the corridor that we think is Mr. Reed is but merely a statue. Even the two leading characters whom we think we have sussed surprise us, whilst Reed’s self-portrayal as an educated, almost God-like figure is but a façade.
“Heretic” showcases the importance of questioning what we see around us, bringing to light key existential questions about the human condition that leave us all a bit mind boggled from time to time. Why it is that we believe what we do? Is what we think we are seeing actually what we are seeing? Or are we forming our judgments based on what we’ve been told or think to be true?
A Lack of Follow Through
Where the movie falls short for me, however, is largely in its lack of follow through. It takes a good 45 minutes for the movie to really pick up the pace and even after the setup—the foreplay if you will. After that, the movie didn’t quite reach its climax and that left me disappointed and wanting more. Once the character of Reed becomes ‘known’—the ‘monster’ has been unveiled for what it truly is—any sense of tension or excitement was lost and it just became a bit dull.
Would I recommend “Heretic?” Perhaps, though viewers be warned: it’s over 2 hours long, so I’d advise you save money on the theatre ticket and watch it in the comfort of your own home. There you can take a break and keep yourself hyped up on sweets and snacks. And sadly, as much as I’d love to, I simply cannot take Hugh Grant seriously as a villain.
