It’s fitting that studio A24, notorious for unsettling its audience with stories that peel back layers of normalcy, is behind the fiendishly clever Heretic.  From Hereditary to Midsommar, The Witch, and Saint Maud, A24’s horror bloodline has tackled themes of grief, cult-like devotion, and the dark nooks of the human psyche with unflinching detail and a fair amount of artistry.  Many of their releases were independently made films acquired from film festivals or first-look deals; in the simplest terms, “They know how to pick ’em.” 
  
That razor-sharp winning streak continues in Heretic, which is far from your run-of-the-mill horror flick.  A psychological plunge into the terrifying limits of faith and manipulation that was popularized in religious-minded fare like The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Sentinel, it carves its own uniquely modern path through the shadows of faith.  Guided by filmmakers who have shown remarkable strength in unraveling the unsettling within the every day, the real shock lies in the unknown, and going in blind is essential, as every twist hits harder when the viewer is just as in the dark as the characters.

A frank discussion between Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher, The Boogeyman) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East, The Fabelmans) opens the film, establishing the intellectual, darkly humorous, slightly cringe tone writer/director Scott Beck and Bryan Woods aim for.  Hoping to share their faith through conversion, their idealism takes them out (via bicycle) into town and impending bad weather to work through a list of contacts they’ve been given, eventually winding up at the home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant, Wonka) for what they imagine to be a routine visit.  Of course, they’ve knocked on the wrong door.

Previews have given away that Mr. Reed’s initial hospitality hides something more malevolent, but to say what twisted game of cat-and-mouse he has planned for the young women would border on blasphemy.  As Barnes and Paxton gradually realize they’ve wandered into a nightmare orchestrated with chilling precision, the tension tightens, winding the audience into a creeping dread that rarely lets up.  Aided by acclaimed cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung’s (Last Night in Soho) typically lyrical camera work, which lends itself so well to this sophisticated genre films, Heretic keeps you on the edge of your seat while restoring your faith in frights that don’t have to come with blood and guts.

I had the privilege of seeing Heretic during its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was clear that the filmmakers had perfected their craft.  Known for their previous work writing 2018’s A Quiet Place and directing the sublime under-the-radar freak-out Haunt in 2019, Beck and Woods deliver an experience here that trades cheap jump scares for something far more insidious. Every scene feels like a countdown to something terrifying just around the corner, across a hallway, behind a door, or down a staircase, all thanks to a mastery of pacing.  Each eerie creak and flickering shadow leaves space for fear to grow by suggesting rather than showing, allowing the suspense to sink its teeth in slowly.

Thatcher’s Sister Barnes grapples with doubt and faith, a tension that the young actress expertly navigates, creating a character whose resilience feels authentic and compelling.  Stay through the end of the credits, and you’ll notice she’s also singing the song playing over them.  On my second viewing, East’s Sister Paxton popped, bringing an earnestness that grounds the horror in a relatable vulnerability, heightening the terror as her character is pushed to her breaking point.  Individually, the two have created fascinating characters rich in idiosyncrasies that they use to make their shared scenes much more electric.

Then there’s Grant, and in what has been the case in most, if not all, of his films over the past decade, casting him is a stroke of genius. Known for his charm, Grant artfully weaponizes it here, playing Reed as a figure whose genteel exterior conceals a wicked core. His presence on screen has always been strangely magnetic, and in Heretic, he brings a biting, sharp edge to every line and each toothy smirk. The dynamic between Grant and the younger actors creates a thrilling interplay, as Reed’s twisted influence tests the missionaries’ faith and forces them to confront their darkest fears.  Both refined and vicious, Grant offers up a villain whose polished manner only makes his true intentions more horrifying.

More eerie and minimalist than the previous projects Beck and Woods have dreamt, uh, nightmare-d up, Heretic makes an interesting statement on belief and dread.  Haunt’s more visceral horror was a departure from the suspenseful silence of A Quiet Place, leaving Heretic to act as a probe into far darker recesses of the heart and mind.  Confident in holding back clues and revealing its mystery slowly, it respects its audience by letting them proceed through its perilous maze without spoon-feeding answers.  Choosing to focus on enthralling you first and scaring you second, eagle-eyed viewers will be rewarded by paying close attention to the details.

Inviting viewers into a world where devotion turns deadly, Heretic continues A24’s commitment to subvert the horror genre.  For those searching for scares with depth and nuance, Heretic delivers a fiendish sermon on faith, fear, and the dangerous space in between. It’s proof that religious horror still has fresh ground to break, confronting the demons we willingly invite in.