Hugh Grant Unlocks Fresh Hell in New Chiller From A24 [TIFF Review]

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A24 has recently opened their doors to a wider range of budgets, sizes, and qualities for their spooky output. There was once an era when they would put their whole backs into the release of five-star events like I Saw the TV Glow and Love Lies Bleeding, but in a year when they’ve expanded into middle-range genre titles like The Front Room and Maxxxine, it might be understandable if audiences approach Heretic with somewhat tempered expectations. Luckily, the latest from horror heroes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (writers of A Quiet Place) should regain audience trust for everyone involved.

Basically a three-hander, Heretic stars Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed, a seemingly polite, wealthy English ex-pat who is greeted at his front door by two young Mormon missionaries. Chloe East plays Sister Paxton and Sophie Thatcher (The Boogeyman) is Sister Barnes, the quieter half of the pairing. The two young women spend their days trying to recruit new souls to their clan while also having honest conversations about their worldviews and bonding between doorsteps. It would have been easy to present these characters in a certain way, yet the creative team establishes Paxton and Barnes as very real people right away. They’re real girls, with real beliefs and complicated histories.

When the two missionaries encounter the eccentric and charming Mr. Reed, they enter his remote home against their better judgment due to a heavy storm. Reed assures the young women his wife will be joining them for a conversation about religion, but everyone knows this won’t be happening. Everyone, of course, except for Paxton and Barnes. When it becomes clear that Mr. Reed will not be letting the girls leave, they’re forced into discussions about truth, belief vs. disbelief, and the dilution of ancient religious practices into the modern-day sects that we participate in today. The girls can only placate their sinister host for so long before things take a turn towards the horrific.

The first act of Heretic is nothing short of brilliant. An intense chamber piece featuring three excellent performances, it’s an intimate 40 minutes of excruciating and deliciously fun dread. As an audience member, it’s easy to scream at the screen when these lovable girls make every wrong mistake possible. Yet, it’s still all somewhat believable. There’s been a lot of horror lately to tackle the idea of death by politeness. The Speak No Evil films tackle it head on, as does the new South Korean thriller 4 PM. It may not be the most original of themes for genre, but it works especially well in this instance. Beck and Woods draw out the tension with only two rooms and three characters for its first half, and that’s worth the price of admission right there.

Unfortunately, the high concept of Heretic quickly sets itself up for failure by promising too much in its front half. Allusions to nightmarish horrors impossible to describe will whet the appetite for something grand and original, but that is not quite what we get in the end. This movie has the ability to make its audience craft our own ideas of what could be down those stairs. Or in the other room. Or in that blueberry pie. But when push comes to shove, and Mr. Reeds and his two visitors actually spell things out for us, it’s not exactly as rewarding as I would have liked.

It’s important to note that the three performances at the centre of the film are surprisingly engaging. Sophie Thatcher is something of an audience conduit, yet instead of delivering a boring nondescript performance, she delivers subtle greatness that’s hard to look away from. Chloe East’s performance on the other hand, is full of surprises that will keep you guessing until the final moments of this intimate chiller. And lest we forget Hugh Grant, who may just be playing his usual self by way of the sadisitic doctor from The Human Centipede, is an absolute joy to witness. Every small choice made by these three help ensure Heretic is a fun field trip into the religious macabre.

A high-brow version of familiar escape room thrillers we’ve seen in recent years, Heretic is an intense and fun dark ride that will keep your attention from start to finish. While its brilliant and intimate first act delivers a promise of terror that is never really fulfilled, if horror fans can approach this experience for the journey rather than the destination, then this is guaranteed good time. Yes, the high concept unravels with a bit of a groan, but its performances and intimate tension make for a fun, stylish horror effort from A24.

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