Heretic: Movie Review

Cast: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East
Director: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Hugh Grant laps up the screen as a villain in this mind-game of a movie that is essentially a three-hander set in a house.

When Mormon Sisters Barnes and Paxton (Yellowjackets Thatcher and East respectively) turn up at the house of Mr Reed (Grant), a man who's asked for them to visit to discuss conversion to the church, they find themselves welcomed with open arms by their seemingly benevolent host.

However, as the discussions progress, things turn uncomfortable and soon the pair are in a fight for their lives.

Dripping with menace and plenty of verbal discussions about the nature of faith, the control of churches and the uncertainties that plague us all, Heretic makes good fist of its growing atmosphere of unease.

Grant relishes his chance to play bad throughout - but behind the menace, there's an actor leaning into the raffish rogueish charms of a Brit villain. From every facial tic to quirky piece of dialogue and reaction, Grant's pitch-perfect delivery ensures the film hits a note early on that sets the tone. (Watch Monopoly sales soar...)

But while Grant is great, he's matched by both East and Thatcher. While Thatcher has a more twitchy edge, with internal conflicts clearly bubbling away, it's East, an apparently naive Sister, whose arc is a more fulsome and intriguing one. Initially innocent but running the emotional gamut of a journey, her performance is one of the standouts in a trio of highly impressive deliveries.

With claustrophobic close ups that leave audiences feeling they're trapped with the characters and within the walls, there's much tension etched throughout - even if the ultimate reveals feel unable to match the high standard of what's gone before.

A cinematic essay on the nature of faith mixed with a psychological bent, Heretic delivers an enjoyably twisty journey of unease - and is well worth trapping yourself within for the ride.