HERETIC. Faith Works Miracles [REVIEW]

Is there anything more terrifying than the vision of an ancient being watching and judging all our actions, ultimately delivering a verdict that decides the conditions under which we’ll spend eternity? Perhaps only one thing: the vision of complete emptiness. At least that’s how Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) sees it. In a key moment in “Heretic”, the protagonists, trapped in his home, are given a choice. Two doors stand before them: one labeled “faith” and the other “disbelief.” The choice they make seems like it will determine their fate—or so we’re led to believe at that moment.

The creators of “Heretic”, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, constantly play with our expectations. This playful approach begins in the very first scene. Two young Mormon missionaries—Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher)—sit on a bench, talking… about condom sizes. The conversation is slightly awkward, even a bit cringeworthy; it’s clear that one of the girls is far more comfortable with these topics than the other. For the first several minutes, we follow the everyday routines of the missionaries as they lug around their bicycles, asking passing strangers if they’d spare a few minutes to talk about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Unsurprisingly, this has little success—until they meet Mr. Reed, an older man whose address they’ve received from their church leaders.

Abandon all hope, those expecting scenes like in “The Conjuring” or “Sinister”. Yes, “Heretic” includes elements that instinctively remind us of horror films: an isolated house, an eccentric host, power outages. Cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon (a regular collaborator with Park Chan-wook) captures unsettling details of the interior—the strange bulges in curtains, mysterious wooden statuettes, dark sculptures tucked in the hallway corners. The full package. But all of this is used by the directing duo merely to establish a certain atmosphere—a genre-tinged layer that makes the viewing experience visually and commercially appealing. In essence, however, “Heretic” is not a horror movie; it’s a dark comedy—one that’s wickedly funny.

Suffice it to say, much of the film is essentially Mr. Reed delivering a lecture on the history of religion to his captive audience. On paper, it might sound dull—a creepy old man locks two women in his house to explain the workings of the world to them. But thanks to a sharp script and an outrageously funny Hugh Grant, these lengthy monologues are a delight to watch. They’re intellectually stimulating, yet hilarious, leaving you gasping for breath between bouts of laughter. What don’t we hear here? Reed explains the ideological differences between Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Mormonism using increasingly elaborate editions of Monopoly. To clarify the similarities between religions, he draws comparisons to plagiarism in music, referencing examples from The Hollies to Radiohead to Lana Del Rey. The women listen, slack-jawed, barely able to muster a single word of protest. If “Heretic” is a horror movie, it’s a horror of being in the presence of someone vastly more intelligent and well-read than you—someone who dismantles your worldview with “facts and logic.”

Mr. Reed’s rhetorical skill is enviable. He’s an intellectual psychopath, a self-appointed demiurge who—at least for a while—maintains total control over events. His power of persuasion and manipulative tactics are impressive; he quickly sows doubt in the minds of his two unfortunate listeners, while also swaying more open-minded and undecided viewers. This task is made easier by Hugh Grant, who currently revels in what the English-speaking internet calls his “villain era.” With quintessential British charm, Grant has taken on a series of antagonistic roles: Forge in “Dungeons & Dragons”, Phoenix Buchanan in “Paddington 2“, Fletcher in “The Gentlemen“. He’s great in each, but nowhere is he as captivating as in “Heretic”. Here, he owns the screen—viewers find themselves in the same position as the protagonists, watching and listening to Grant with a mix of fear, admiration, and amusement. Each line is a surprise, delivered with masterful precision and facial control. As long as “Heretic” remains Grant’s showcase, Beck and Woods’ film is thrilling, nearly flawless.

Things start to go downhill, however, as Beck and Woods begin to reveal their hand. Their constant need to surprise leads them to a place from which there’s no graceful exit. The ending of “Heretic” is not just absurd but absurdly disappointing—when ending the film a few scenes earlier would have left the audience in sweet uncertainty, aligning with the story’s overall theme. Nonetheless, the final minutes don’t negate all the good things we saw earlier. “Heretic” remains an excellent film: funny, engaging, intellectually stimulating, and featuring the role of a lifetime for Grant. I guarantee that after watching, you’ll find yourself pondering which of the doors you’d choose—even if, ultimately, it might not really matter.