The horror genre is dominant at the box office in 2024, as films that’re viscerally frightening are a more consistent draw to audiences compared to the irrelevant series of new superhero titles. Between classical legacy sequels like Alien: Romulus, emerging franchises like Smile 2, cult hits like Terrifier 3, and the occasional arthouse breakout like Longlegs, it's clear why horror is never going to fail to find an audience. These films have all succeeded due to their somewhat straightforward nature; you don’t need to be well-versed in the lore of the original Alien to understand why the new Xenomorph uncovered in Alien: Romulus is so frightening.
Comparatively, Heretic‘s a film that bends the “captive horror” subgenre into a fright-fest that specifically reflects what discourse looks like in 2024. The notion of a villain holding innocents hostage and engaging them in cruel games isn’t new; it’s the source of prestige classics (such as Kathy Bates’ Oscar winning role in Misery) or the cynical torture-porn variety (there are now ten Saw movies, with another on the way in 2025). Heretic isn’t the first film about religious fundamentalism, but it's unique in how it ties spiritual discussions to the rise of intellectual superiority that’s become ubiquitous on social media today.
Any indie horror title needs a star to entice an audience, and Heretic offers a suitably nasty role for Hugh Grant, who decades earlier had been a romantic comedy icon thanks to Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral, among others. Grant has found a new niche by playing bad guys, with scene-stealing roles in the family adventure Paddington 2, the sword-and-sandals action flick Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and the HBO drama mini-series The Undoing. Heretic is a role in which Grant relinquishes any hints of charisma; he stars as the enigmatic stranger known only as “Mr. Reed,” who’s the type of guy who spends too much time on Reddit.
Reed manages lures two young Mormon missionaries, Barens (Sophie Thatcher) and Paxton (Chloe East), into his home after they make an earnest attempt to introduce him to their church doctrine. Reed indulges the questions, but immediately makes sly comments pointing out some of the logical fallacies within the memorized conversion techniques that the recruiters often use. Reed doesn’t seem to hate Mormonism, nor does he have a real interest in getting either of his two young house guests to change their minds. Reed feeds off the idea that he holds greater knowledge, and pushes the suggestion that he’s right that the initial argument is entirely irrelevant.
Grant’s character lends a sense of intellectualism that gives Heretic a lively sense of dark humor, and he appears fairly well-read; in addition to a broad understanding of the development of world religions, Reed also has a vast understanding of the artistry behind Radiohead’s “Creep” and the metaphorical undertones within the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Yet, there’s a sense of entitlement within the character that drives him to justify why he’s living on the outskirts of society without any signs of socialization. In Reed’s eyes, he’s too burdened by his own brilliance to waste time with people who can’t comprehend his complex ideas. By trapping these young hostages, Reed gets his opportunity for an elaborate ruse, even if it’s a construct to make him feel superior when the logic of his argument falters.
This is an exaggerated version of a "political mouthpiece" pundit trying to lure unsuspecting opponents into a debate, but it does speak to the current discourse where the only real intention is to humiliate those considered "the enemy." Although the term “debate” is often claimed as more serious than a simple “argument,” it implies that two opposing sides are desperate to claim victory. There’s no attempt at finding middle ground, nor does either side come into the event with a desire to learn. In an election year, the sheer amount of belligerent radicals unwilling to admit any fault has damaged the future of communication.
Heretic does rest on established talking points regarding the flaws within political reasoning. Did you know that there were other supposed messiahs that lived before Jesus? How strange is it that Christmas happens to fall near the end of the calendar year? Why is there reverence for older religious texts when beliefs are so often amended? The film isn’t interested in questioning why people stick with their beliefs, as it turns its eyes on those determined to “disprove” those that take a sick pleasure in the argumentative process. More traditionalist horror fare in theaters now may offer the gross carnage that’s intended to make the skin crawl, but Heretic is only a ramped-up version of what it’s like to come across someone with an ideologically difference in the year that civility collapsed.