Heretic | Film Review

 

Two missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) are caught up in a dangerous game when they knock on the door of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), a man who forces them to question their faith.

I was looking forward to seeing this one, mostly for Hugh Grant, but also because it looked like a really unique horror movie and I'm always seated for horror.

I had mixed feelings about this film while watching it. I was unsure for a long time, but by the end I did really like it.

As mentioned, the story is really unique, and there's no way you can guess where it's going. And some of the uniqueness is added by the camera shots and imagery, which were so original and well done.

At the beginning it moves very slowly and is incredibly dialogue-heavy. This can become a problem if you don't care about the conversation or the characters, as it can become a bit heavy and boring. Though the dialogue itself is well-written. 

But if you're not enjoying it, this problem is solved really quickly.

And that's because of the suspense.

Nothing really builds. One minute the characters are having a conversation and the next it's so tense that you're watching the events through your fingers. This is done so well!

All the actors are incredible. Each time one of them speaks they steal the show from the one before. It's an equal three-hander.

Grant is absolutely perfect for this role. He gives the part just the right amount of charisma mixed with just the right amount of weirdness. Not only does this make the character believable, but also genuinely scary.

I found myself losing interest and then regaining it again in quick succession, and it took a while for me to really know if I was enjoying it or not.

Because even though I may not have enjoyed every moment, it was completely engaging and I was fully locked in the entire time.

The third act sold my enjoyment, and how I felt about the film as a whole. The last 30 or so minutes of the film were great!

Overall, this film won't be for everyone, but once I got to the end I did really enjoy it, and I think it's a really successful understated horror that's worth a watch.

7/10