Two young missionaries find themselves trapped in a cerebral game of cat and mouse, when their beliefs are questioned by a sinister Mr. Reed.
Written and directed by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, who also wrote the amazing ‘A Quiet Place’. And from A24 who have given us a plethora of brilliant films including ‘Pearl’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, comes a tense triple header in what could quite easily become a stage play in the best possible terms.
Inspired by the films ‘Contact’ and ‘Inherit The Wind’ which seek deeper meaning into the afterlife, Heretic was written after Bryan Wood’s late father. Filmed in Vancouver, Canada in an extremely short 30-day period in October 2023 with special dispensation during the SAG-AFTRA strike and with a comparatively small budget of just $10million, Heretic has delivered far more and with greater finesse than larger budget recent offerings such as the underwhelming ‘The Exorcism’.
Starring Hugh Grant in his superbly dark latter career as the affably calculating Mr Reed, who as a heretic has a lack of faith in the almighty and the afterlife. With also the amazing young acting veteran Sophie Thatcher (Boogeyman) as Sister Barnes, and Chloe East as Sister Paxton, we have the main cast who bring this dark tale alive with the Sisters who are actually practicing Mormons in real life.
Set predominantly in Mr Reed’s home, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton must make one last call to the literate and well versed gentleman; who soon dives deeply into their religious wisdom whilst raising the stakes in a tense one to one that quickly goes from open and informed to closed and calculating. Using the filming technique that initially involves the wide shot of both sisters together it then soon closes in on each as the questioning becomes more singular, dark and divisive.
What first appears to be a game of captive and captured soon turns into something far more intelligent as we descend down to the next level of Mr Reed’s ‘Dante’s Inferno’ of apparently few windows or simple means of escape where the only way out is quite simply down. The script is superb, and the next level of hell is of a simple choice that questions their own beliefs which may have possibly crossed their minds in real life because of their family upbringing.
Where the whole package works so well as the three bounce off each other is the use of Grant’s witty acting yet threatening approach as he describes our religious beliefs bizarrely alongside the invention and chronology of the long running board game ‘Monopoly’ and its origins. Do make sure you are up to speed with three tracks that become a centre piece of this film that includes two which will be familiar through to the recent offering from Lana Del Rey’s ironically titled ‘Get Free’ which all become more than just a soundtrack.
Heretic is a brilliant stand-alone work that should last the test of time and grow in our hearts as we hold our breath to see if the Sister’s future in their faith holds true. With a run time of just under 2 hours, Heretic does not feel elongated or loose but structured and tight Seeing this even on a smaller screen in the cinema with the like minded will only add to the tense atmosphere we have come to expect yet are often left very short changed too many times by lesser alternatives.
Faith will not be required to view this superbly sinister film.
Author: Piers, Maidstone Store
