A24 missed with “Heretic,” but you should still see it

“Heretic” is a religious horror movie about two girls, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints going door-to-door to talk to people about the church. The two girls, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, stop at Mr. Reed’s, played by Hugh Grant, house. When he opens the door, he seems like a sweet and charming old man. He is happy to talk about the church and religion with the girls. He invites them inside. The girls say they cannot come inside unless there is a woman present. He tells him his wife is inside and then they enter the home. 

Once they’ve been inside for a while, they realize that something is not right. That is all the plot given in the trailers to avoid spoilers. However, you can guess where the plot is going. 

This movie starts out pretty slow, but you don’t notice it much because the acting is so amazing. Grant’s ability to act so likable and charismatic while also doing horrible things later on is terrifying. This was Grant’s first horror movie and he completely knocks it out of the park. Thatcher and East were also phenomenal. These are two relatively small actors that audiences should be on the lookout for in the future.

While the acting was definitely the standout of this film, the plot could use some improvements. A lot of things that happened were unrealistic. A lot of the story dragged with more dialogue that could have been more action. Mr. Reed spends a lot of time challenging the girls and their religion, and they challenge him back. While their acting is amazing and wasn’t necessarily boring, it leaves one wanting more than just a conversation.

The final act was also very unrealistic and disappointing. It felt rushed and like they just tried to come up with something last minute.

Overall, there are still some reasons to watch this movie, even if horror movies are not your thing. It was a good movie, even if it wasn’t mind-blowing. Nothing about it was extraordinary, apart from the acting. It’s a mild horror movie with not much gore or any huge scares.