Georgetown University students should be familiar with “The Problem of God” as a concept, but if your THEO-1000 class didn’t quite quench your ontological questioning, don’t fret! “Heretic” provides a captivating supplement — albeit a more suspenseful and terrifying one.
The latest A24 film’s religious themes are established right away as Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) begin their work to spread the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They knock on the door of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), who appears harmless, if slightly eccentric. Offering them shelter from the rain, Mr. Reed leads the sisters inside and, in classic horror movie fashion, the audience watches with growing frustration as the unsuspecting protagonists step into an impending trap.
As early as the first scene, in which the sisters have a conversation regarding condoms and pornography, we are introduced to the comical undertones of this otherwise chilling story. The focus of the film is highlighted in the question the conversation ends with: What do we believe simply because of marketing?
Suspense sets in as Reed divulges his rather extensive knowledge of Mormonism and its founder, Joseph Smith. As he launches into the first of many tirades questioning the very institution of religion, the girls’ fear grows palpable as they begin to realize their gross misplacement of trust. Both Thatcher and East deliver strong, nuanced performances, creating two characters with distinct depth despite their similar feelings of terror. While Sister Paxton is clearly a devout believer, Sister Barnes’ reserved attitude toward their evangelism offers an interesting study of doubt in the face of religion. Reed manipulates this doubt as he deliberates his own queries and his ultimate search for the one true religion. Grant’s portrayal of the eerie intellectual Reed is devilish in its charm and succeeds in rendering the movie an unnerving psychological thriller. Though most of his dialogue consists of seemingly tedious expository explanations of religious and philosophical theory, Grant’s delivery makes it captivating.
This cat-and-mouse thriller of a plot is driven primarily by dialogue, which is largely thought-provoking and aims to demand a real questioning of the audience’s beliefs. However, the depth of the film occasionally gets overshadowed by Reed’s humorous use of pop culture references as metaphors to shape his philosophy of disbelief. These references range from the popular board game “Monopoly” to the English rock band “Radiohead” and even include a playful impersonation of “Star Wars” character Jar Jar Binks. This simplification is clearly placed in order to ensure that audiences can understand the film regardless of their own theological background but may make anyone who has taken an introductory course on religion feel the film is somewhat shallow and surface-level. Despite the oversimplification, these theories ultimately prove indigestible due to the sheer number of them.
Though “Heretic” starts out strong, its escalation and eventual resolution feel somewhat lackluster. Many of the twists, including Reed’s ultimate thesis, are completely unexpected — not due to purposeful obscurity for mysterious effect but rather because the script struggles to fuse all of its ideas into a cohesive conclusion. The big reveal is somewhat overly explained and much of the mystery is lost to the movie’s almost condescending need to lay everything out as clearly as possible for the audience. However, the ambiguous ending is thought-provoking, despite some of A24’s characteristic lack of plausibility. Despite the contrived events that lead us there, the plot’s central discourse ultimately succeeds in inspiring reflection on the matter of individual beliefs regarding the institution of religion and beyond.
Beyond the palpable tension between the three leads, the ambiance of the film exudes hostility. Even when the physical maze of Reed’s house is continuously unraveled alongside the metaphorical unraveling of the sisters’ beliefs, the setting only grows more claustrophobic. The cinematography is solid, with a few truly stunning shots and some moments of extraordinary editing, particularly the suffocating close-ups and an incredible shot transitioning between the maze of Reed’s house and a wooden model equivalent, which amplifies the stress and stakes of the chase.
“Heretic” is ambitious in its attempt to balance religious questioning, horror and psychological thrill. While it fails to offer the amount of depth that may have been intended, it nonetheless provides interesting points on which to ruminate, and the suspense and scares are enjoyable. Though it focuses on central philosophical questions and diatribes to progress the story, the surprising amount of horror action alongside the gore and overarching suspense truly makes the film a standout in the horror genre.
For the best experience, skip the trailer, which reveals a tastelessly significant amount of the suspense-building factors, and head into the movie with as little prior knowledge as possible — just know that you will leave with some important questions and theories to consider, as well as some remnant jitters from the jump scares.
