Diabolically fun horror Heretic will make you believe | TIFF 2024

TIFF 2024 | A pair of young Mormon missionaries find themselves at the center of a sinister plot when they knock on the wrong door in Heretic.

I checked my watch after what I thought was about twenty minutes into Heretic and was shocked to see it had been an hour into its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. I suppose time flies when you're watching a raving heretic played by a devilishly sinister Hugh Grant wax about religious philosophy complete with visual and auditory aids—including a hilarious comparison between different editions of Monopoly and the song “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies—will have that effect. But that's not the only trick writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods have up their sleeves.

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Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), a seasoned albeit jaded veteran, and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), a plucky believer eager to notch her first baptism, are wrapping up their day of peddling the Book of Mormon to the people of a small mountain town. Their mission takes them to the doorstep of Mr. Reed (Grant), an older British man in a quaint cottage against a hillside. The girls are immediately put at ease by his endearing demeanor—he's wearing a patterned sweater!—and willingness to talk about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Though there's a rule they can't be in a room alone without a woman present, he assures them his wife is baking up a blueberry pie in the kitchen.

Beck and Woods move the film along with a steady slow-burn pace as the conversation starts off innocently enough. Mr. Reed shows genuine interest in their beliefs—and seemingly already knows more about the religion than initially letting on. While the home is dark and claustrophobic, with shadowy corners and a suspiciously long and dark corridor leading to the kitchen where the alleged Mrs. Reed is slaving over a hot oven—not to mention the passing comment about metal in the walls and a timer that switches off the lights at regular intervals. The girls are simply eager that someone is so interested in what they truly believe.

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Of course, though, things aren't quite as easy as… well, pie. Mr. Reed begins to challenge some of the beliefs of Sisters Barnes and Paxton before asking increasingly probing questions like about the scar on Sister Barnes's arm and their beliefs on the outdated tradition of polygamy. Thatcher and East are sensational as the girls's slow seeds of suspicion that turn into full blown panic as they realize the front door is locked and the candle placed on the table in front of them is blueberry pie scented.

The fun of Heretic is that Beck and Woods give you all the pieces to see where the story is going, like a love letter to horror fans. However, it never feels like you're spoiled. The increasingly frenetic energy of the movie—and Grant's easy diabolical villain energy—is so enjoyable that you're giddy with each reveal. As the movie careens into its second act, the name of the game is changed and Grant goes from Paddington to Bond villain as he explains the reason behind his capture of the girls—a reasoning that involves a crash course in the history of religious, a copyright dispute over Radiohead's “Creep” and Jar Jar Binks. Yet it all makes sense.

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Perhaps Heretic isn't quite profound enough for anyone to change their mind about religion, but the way the utilize the debate is nothing short of miraculous. As a sadistic game of “choose the right door to exit” brings us to the full-on horror third act, the movie continues to tighten its grip. With an oppressive atmosphere aided by smart sound design and increasingly committed performances by East and Thatcher, it's impossible to pull yourself out of the world.

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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.

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