Heretic

Last week, my friends and I went to see the new psychological horror film from A24, Heretic, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The film stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as two young missionaries from the Mormon church, and Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed, the old man whom the two missionaries visit to talk about their beliefs and see if he wants to join the church. At first, their visit with him seems perfectly innocent, but after a short while, things take a turn for the worst.

I absolutely loved this movie, and it exceeded my already high expectations. One thing that stood out to me was Hugh Grant's performance as Mr. Reed. Both Thatcher and East's performances were incredible, but they paled in comparison to Grant's. He somehow found a way to be charming and captivating, while also being off-putting and disgusting at the same time. Another thing that I absolutely loved is how much this movie made me think. You know that you just watched a really good and very well written film when you and your friends are still in the theater, long after the credits have finished rolling, still discussing the film. Although somewhat polarizing, Heretic is a very captivating psychological horror film that dares to question your belief system, no matter which religious background you come from. 

I went into this film somewhat blind. I knew the gist of the plot, but other than that, I had no idea what was going to happen, and I recommend doing the same.