What would happen if one of Hugh Grant’s famous romantic comedy characters – think William from Notting Hill or the prime minister of Love in fact — trapped you in a house of horrors? It’s not far from what you’ll get Hereticthe latest horror offering from writer-director duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A quiet place, 65).

Yes, Grant has leaned more into villain archetypes in recent years, from Paddington 2It is the selfish Phoenix Buchanan Dungeons & Dragons: Honor among thieves‘ Mischievous forge. But no film has used his talents as a weapon as frightening as Heretic. Here you’ll see Grant both like you’ve never seen him before (downright terrifying!) and Exactly as you’ve already seen (charming with a side of self-deprecation). The combination is downright frightening, with Grant’s performance providing continued terror even as HereticTheological fears remain quite superficial.

What is this Heretic about?

Hugh Grant in “Heretic”.
Credit: A24

Grant plays Mr. Reed, a seemingly friendly man who opens his door to Mormon missionaries Sister Paxton (The Fabelmans‘ Chloe East) and sister Barnes (Yellow vests“Sophie Thatcher). The two have already had a rough day lugging their bikes up steep stairs, making fun of local teenage girls, and weathering the beginnings of a violent rainstorm. After all that, the real point of Mr. Reed to the Mormon Church is just the pick-me-up they need, and while mission rules forbid them from being alone with him without a woman present, he insists that his. shy wife is just in the kitchen making a wonderful blueberry pie. That’s all the confirmation Paxton and Barnes need to come into his house and start teaching him about their faith.

But once inside, the red flags start to pile up. It turns out that Mr. Reed knows a lot about Mormonism. Look no further than his heavily annotated copy of the Book of Mormon. (“Rather like Mr. Read” jokes Paxton, desperate to get his first baptism.) Then there are his pointed investigations into Mormon founder Joseph Smith and polygamy. At first glance, these might simply be mistaken for run-of-the-mill religious skepticism. But when coupled with personal questions about the death of Barnes’ father, it’s clear that something more sinister is afoot. Heretic What he needs is just one push – in this case, the revelation that “Mrs. Reed” is nothing more than a blueberry-flavored lie – to send Paxton and Barnes to hell.

“Hell” being of course the back part of Mr. Reed’s house, which includes a chapel he built himself, as well as two staircases – one marked “belief”, the other “unbelief” ” – leading towards darkness. These stairs become the focal point of a religious battle of wits, as Mr. Reed tests the sisters’ faith to its limits.

HereticReligious horror isn’t the scariest thing.

Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher in “Heretic”.
Credit: A24

Most of this battle of wits takes place in conversation, with Heretic is quickly establishing itself as the most talkative horror film of the year. (By introducing Heretic At this year’s Fantastic Fest, Beck and Woods said they created it the opposite of A quiet placewhich created scares without any dialogue.) As Mr. Reed draws Paxton and Barnes deeper into his web, each turn of conversation and cutting question becomes a cause for more and more fright. Yet this is less due to the actual content of the conversations, and more to the claustrophobic direction of Beck and Woods in this trio. Tight close-ups on the faces of Mr. Reed, Paxton and Barnes keep us locked in their discussion, while the unique setting reminds us that there is no escape.

Apparently, the theological debate in which this trio engages is supposed to be the crux of the debate. HereticIt’s horror, as Paxton and Barnes reflect on their relationship with God in times of crisis. But the film’s religious discourse is mostly superficial – although amusing.

Take, for example, a stunning monologue from Grant, delivered like a sermon from his own pulpit, about the iterative connections between everything from religion to Monopoly to Lana Del Rey. (A Jar Jar Binks impression makes its way there as well, and Grant makes a delicious meal of it, as he does with everything else in the film.) The actual message that religion is nothing more than a farce Elaborate marketing isn’t particularly revolutionary – you can just as easily find these ideas on any atheist discussion forum. It’s the way Grant presents it, with all the panache of a smart-ass debate bro, that really makes you cringe.

It’s because Heretic his greatest fears come not from his questions about religion, but from the age-old truth that it’s right Really terrifying to be a woman alone with a strange man. Especially when this strange man combines the mannerisms of the romantic comedy Hugh Grant with the romantic sensibility of the trappings of SawIt’s John Kramer.

Hugh Grant in Heretic is one of the best horror casts in recent memory.

Hugh Grant in “Heretic”.
Credit: A24

The root of HereticThe real horror begins with Grant’s performance. Here, the actor is fully in what’s considered his rom-com mode, employing the tricks he uses in his romantic roles. Mr. Reed is all affable, smiling and shrugging, politely stumbling over his words, then apologizing when he mixes up names or asks an uncomfortable question. It almost seems Sorry asking Barnes and Paxton to head to his creepy basement, when in reality he has complete control.

This conscious lack of recognition of one’s control is echoed in Beck and Woods’ storyline. While some of HereticMr. Reed’s religious musings may seem overwritten, Mr. Reed’s social manipulation of the sisters is perfect. He repeatedly claims that he is not pressuring them – not to mention that he has locked them in his house. He accuses Barnes and Paxton of getting too worked up, ignoring their very valid fears about him. Who can remain calm when a man is, once again, force them into his basement?

East and Thatcher play Paxton and Barnes’ reactions perfectly, with both men trying to defuse the situation without upsetting Mr. Reed. Their discomfort first manifests itself in minor ways. Thatcher’s firmer Barnes refuses a drink from Mr. Reed, while East’s gentler and more uncertain Paxton answers most of his questions with awkward laughter. But as the cracks in Mr. Reed’s facade begin to appear, panic becomes clearer and clearer on the sisters’ faces, even as they try to remain polite. Repeated questions to meet Mrs. Reed become shorthand for terror. Paxton and Barnes make up excuses to try to get out of it. Later, they blunt their intelligence and beliefs in an attempt to appeal to what they think Mr. Reed wants from them – even Paxton. THANKS him as she begins her descent below. It’s a moment of panicked, stomach-churning kindness, but one that’s all too relevant in a film full of them. How to push away a man who won’t allow you to move away from his neighborhood? A man who wants to use his religious beliefs to control you and shape you to his will – again, does that sound familiar?

These scenes of Paxton and Barnes diminishing each other make the moments where they fight back all the sweeter. They choose to meet Mr. Reed on his own intellectual terrain, challenging him on his clearly well-rehearsed arguments. And whether or not you agree with Mr. Reed’s religious beliefs or those of the sisters, each of their rebuttals hits hard as they confront their captor.

HereticThe dialogue – no matter how much it threatens to spark a high school debate – is delivered with such malicious amusement by Grant and such ferocity by East and Thatcher that by the time the film falls into a more traditional slasher mode, it is a shame to part. with these conversations. Chilling revelations and boatloads of religious and occult iconography (much of which is featured in impressive statues and pictures throughout Mr. Reed’s home) certainly get the blood pumping. But it’s something you might see in any religious horror film. What really defines Heretic apart from Grant, the absolute monster of a man he plays, and how terribly familiar that man is.

Heretic is now in theaters.