So much crap has already been written about the risky change of pace Hugh Grant exposes in an overrated and undercooked horror film titled Heretic that it seems pointless to contribute further. I’ll just say he deserves applause, but the question is, “So what?” He’s an excellent actor who should be able to transition from a charming romantic role to a menacing, evil villain with superior ease, and to the monster he plays as. Heretic is not only cleverly bizarre, but not entirely devoid of charm either. It seems like a natural choice. The question: is it scary? In my opinion, the answer is a big “No way”. Shaving too quickly with an old razor blade gave me more scares than anything else Heretic from my bathroom mirror.

crossed out by Scott Beck And Bryan Woodthe writing-directing-sometimes production team responsible for B movies like Haunt And The bogeyman, heretic has been wrongly considered an innovator in the horror genre, but there is nothing innovative about this. Instead of horror, Heretic Rather, it is a long and tedious ideological debate about the horror of religion combined with the horrors of bad movies. This could be called a why as opposed to a whodunnit. The premise begins with a promise. Two charming Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher And Chloe East) on a mission to convert nonbelievers to salvation, arrive at a spooky, imposing house (amidst fog, rain, and an upcoming snowstorm, of course). The creaking door is opened by a genial, smiling Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant, displaying his usual charm), who invites them in and offers them a slice of blueberry pie freshly made by his wife, who never shows up . But instead of pie, what Mr. Reed offers is a stimulating debate about the role of religion throughout the ages. Whether the women are fundraising or simply hoping to find a friendly soul mate is left to the imagination, although the dark and gloomy mansion soon becomes a testament to the host’s behavior and his perilous plans for unsuspecting visitors, including many turn out to be imprisoned in cages in the underground dungeons below. Before you can say: “Girls in danger at the cinema who have seen Psychology should know better than to go out after dark,” the proceedings turn into a scream fest, and the charming Mr. Reed transforms into a serial killer who verbally accompanies each of his murders with jabberwocky gibberish that begins with questions worrying questions like “How are you?” what do you think of polygamy?

It should come as no surprise when the girls discover that the exit doors are locked, that blueberry pie is poison, and that there are no women. As the snowstorm rages outside, the girls flee to the cellar where the future victims await their turn to be executed. “Why are you doing this?” asks one of the lost missionaries in one of the film’s unintentional comedy misfires. “The question,” Mr. Reed replies with a deadly smile, “is why are you all letting me do this?” This is the only point of the film: there is East it’s no use.

Heretic has occasional moments of suspense, but nothing is grounded in any logic, which pretty much leaves Hugh Grant guiding the rickety, disorganized, pointless third act to its macabre conclusion with maximum, eye-rolling glee. lick your lips. This is the only reason to keep one eye on the screen and the other on the exit door. You can’t teach an old pro new tricks, and this is an actor who couldn’t turn off the charm even if asked, which no one does. Even when he cuts off a victim’s hand, one finger at a time, he seems jovial. Hopefully, after proving he’s more than capable of handling gory nonsense, he’ll be offered a meatier role next time around. In the disappointing greeting card finale of Hereticeverything collapses into hearts, flowers and butterflies, but only one person is still alive. I won’t reveal who it is. I’ll just tell you that when Hugh Grant leaves the screen, it has an impact not unlike saying goodbye to Casper, the Friendly Ghost.