Heretic questions what a horror movie can be

A24's Heretic is a unique, philosophical horror film that is worthy of watching more than once.

The setup is brilliant and begins with a condom debate between two Mormon missionary sisters as they make their rounds professing about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the neighborhood of a small town.

Things go off the rails as these missionaries try to convert an English bloke named Mr. Reed, portrayed by Hugh Grant, at his home. The plot turns into a cat and two mice game in a maze of unpredictable moments that carry the audience toward a gruesome ending.

A Chicagoan from Evanston, Illinois, Sophie Thatcher plays Sister Barnes, a well-rounded acolyte who is not easily read. She is connected to the source material because her family members are Mormons, although she no longer practices. Chloe East as Sister Paxton also gives a nuanced performance and Grant complimented the two young actresses for their abilities at a Q&A following the screening in Brooklyn. Word of mouth at these early screenings and in September at the Toronto International Film Festival have been positive

Co-writers and co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods worked on A Quiet Place together, another feature that pushed the boundaries effectively.

For those who don't know, a heretic is a person who disagrees with other people's beliefs that are generally accepted. Heretics have been plagued with abuse over the centuries for questioning God and religion. In the Catholic church, a heretic is anyone who is not devoted to the Orthodox holy faith. In medieval times it was anyone who didn't conform with a church's various doctrines during a turbulent period in history. This Nunn loves a story where religion is debated and the line about the LGBTQ+ community being created by God is what makes me a heretic myself. Religion is a trigger for many queer people and is completely misunderstood some Bible readers who don't know the verses were written at a time to grow the population. The stigma has stuck around over the years in some circles and has divided people, unfortunately.

There's a debate on whether believers should question religion or blindly follow what elders teach. Grant as a nonconformist hits all the right notes while debating a variety of topics with smart dialogue and a sinister attitude.

After watching the trailer I was worried that too much was given away, but there are plenty of twists and turns to take viewers on a wild ride. It's not predictable and I pray you see it before anything is spoiled.

There has been a rash of scary movies recently during the Halloween season and this is one flick that elevates the genre to some degree. The UK was wise to release Heretic a week earlier than the US to align with the horror holiday.

Heretic haunts theaters in America beginning on November 8, 2024.