Heretic is already one of the highest-rated horror films of the year, based on its excellent 96% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score. With over 90 reviews counted as of this writing, critics have praised star Hugh Grant’s performance and the way directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods approached the storytelling. The average rating of aggregated reviews is 7.7/10, with some possible fluctuations in the coming days

The horror genre has seen its share of critical darlings in 2024, and Heretic is poised to become one of the most notable titles. Its current Rotten Tomatoes score would place it tied for second place in the site’s rankings the 50 best horror films of the year; Singularity also has a 96%. The only horror film to perform better with critics this year so far is Late night with the devilwho got a 97%. If the scores hold where they are, Infested And In flames would complete the top five.

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Heretic follows Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), two Mormon missionaries who visit Mr. Reed’s (Grant) house to try to recruit him into their church. What happens next becomes a wild test of faith, with Reed putting the young women through a grueling ordeal before they can leave his house. Before its release, Heretic has drawn attention for what appears to be a troubling turn on Grant’s part. His character was inspired by horrible real-life characters, including Jim Jones, Keith Raniere and Christopher Hitchens. The film will be released in theaters this Friday, November 8.

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The distributor A24 has continued to create buzz since Heretic throughout the year, release first trailer in June. While the studio has supported films in a variety of genres (including several Best Picture nominees), A24 has carved out a nice niche for itself in the horror field. The lighthouse, HereditaryAnd Midday are just a few of their horror films that have gained a passionate following among movie buffs. A24’s involvement in Heretic meant that audiences had high hopes for the film, banking on the studio’s pedigree.

For co-directors Beck and Woods, Heretic It’s a nice bounce. The duo’s previous directing effort was last year’s 65the sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver as a pilot who crashes on a prehistoric Earth and must face dinosaurs. Despite an intriguing premise and a leading actor, 65 failed to impress critics and didn’t make much of an impact at the box office. Actually, Heretic is Beck and Woods’ highest-rated feature film since 2018 A quiet placewhich they co-wrote alongside director John Krasinski. Beck and Woods may have struggled to replicate the success of A quiet place in the years that followed; their other works were Haunt And The bogeymanboth of which received generally positive reviews but little acclaim.

Heretic generating such an enthusiastic response bodes well for its box office prospects. Even though Halloween is over, horror usually draws crowds any time of year, especially when word of mouth is this strong. Smile 2 is a holdover targeting a similar demographic, but it’s been in theaters for a few weeks now, which means Heretic should not face too much competition. This is the highest-profile new release of the weekend, and there will likely be plenty of interest in seeing Grant – famous for his many charming romantic comedies – play a horror movie villain.