Opening 26 Dec 2024
Directed by:
Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Writing credits:
Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Principal actors:
Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young
Intelligently written, creatively directed and stunningly suspenseful, the less you know going in, the better to appreciate Heretic’s evil genius. Its lead-in sequence is a dead give-a-way, this ain’t your usual horror genre flick. It also introduces two of the three main characters, the Sisters Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Paxton (Chloe East). Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, i.e., the Morman Church, the two young women are working to convert and spreading the word; one sister has converts to her credit, while the other desperately wants her first baptism. Late afternoon and with the weather conditions rapidly deteriorating, they approach the set-back home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), who requested information, little realizing the menacing maze they are entering. A sly devil, he lures them in with pie and a shy wife, followed by a lively and disarming religious conversation peppered with puns and analogies. To provoke their reaction Mr. Reed highlights the visit with a board games comparison.
Writers-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’s chilling psychological cliffhanger relies on dialogue and delivery to attain, then maintain the tension, apprehension, and perverse fascination during the cat and mouse chase through the house’s warren of rooms, and verbal labyrinth of deceptions and counter deceptions. Grant, Thatcher, and East’s brilliant performances give credence, excelling in projecting minutia of emotions for the ultimate effect. With hooded eyes fixedly watching the women’s movements, Grant oozes charm, his maneuverings leonine chasing phantoms for his captive audience while baiting, using misdirection and pregnant pauses for emphasis during loaded spoken sorties and skirmishes. Thatcher and East’s innocence—that tends to slip-slide—and trust shrinks to survival; both discover strengths that complement the other’s so they not only parry but grasp nuanced implications, modulating their actions accordingly, albeit surprises never cease.
Behind-the-camera allure permeates the film: cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung’s subtlety laid out clues and red herrings, close-ups qualifying emotional nefariousness, and slight-of-hand action that is superbly edited by Justin Li. Whether the creaking floorboards, clock ticking, gulps, gasps, or catching of one’s breath, Eugenio Battaglia’s sound design adds volumes to audiences’ visceral experience. Music supervisor Natasha Duprey’s tunes, and Chris Bacon’s score balance out the confusion, pathos. Heretic’s formidableness cleverly, captivatingly and surely ensnares its viewers. (Marinell Haegelin)
