What do you believe?
It’s a simple question, but it’s also a trap.
Belief isn’t tangible because it is based on the unknown. Therefore, it is malleable, debatable and subject to manipulation.
It’s also led to an awful lot of bloodshed throughout the ages, which makes belief the perfect subject for a slow-burn horror movie.
“Heretic” is a taught, cunning and occasionally thought-provoking thriller built around the against-type performance of the ever-charming Hugh Grant.
Grant plays Mr. Reed, an exceedingly polite man who welcomes two young Mormon missionaries into his home. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) is slightly more world-weary than her naive and plucky counterpart Sister Paxton (Chloe East), but both young women stand firm in their faith.
Mr. Reed is exceedingly pleasant and polite throughout, even as the proceedings become more and more unsettling. It turns out Mr. Reed has some thoughts on theology, and he looks to his guests for some – let’s say – rigorous debate.
What is impressive about “Heretic” is how tidily and entertainingly it clips along even though the vast majority of the film is just three people in a room talking.
What is enjoyable about the movie is that while Mr. Reed makes a very compelling argument, Barnes and Paxton aren’t exactly damsels in distress, as they prove to be both physical and intellectual equals to their calculating captor.
Writers/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods do a nice job of ratcheting up the tension without tipping their hand too early. You know something bad is going to happen, you just don’t know for sure when it is going to happen or how bad it is going to be.
The flaws in “Heretic” crop up primarily in its final third when, after running with Swiss-clock-like precision, some tiny plot holes and motivation gaps start to become visible.
Ultimately though, all of the flowers given to “Heretic” should be laid at Grant’s feet. The past decade, his career choices have been seemingly for his own amusement, taking off-beat roles in projects like “The Undoing,” “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and, lest we forget, “Paddington 2.” But at this point, the guy is playing with house money after rocketing to international stardom on the back of countless romantic comedies, and he is smart enough to know it.
The man is a charisma firehose that can’t be turned off, and it’s fun to see him play with those expectations and turn them on the audience with something so disarmingly sinister.
“Heretic” is a confident little movie that, while not exactly perfect, we could use a lot more of at the cineplex.
“Heretic” is rated R for some bloody violence.
