Review: HERETIC is a compelling story about faith tested by evil

Heretic is a film I was looking forward to seeing, especially because, having served a mission for the Mormon church a long time ago, I was intrigued to see how Hollywood would approach the experience of Mormon missionaries…in a horror film.

I’ve even toyed with my ideas for a Mormon missionary-themed horror film, but I honestly never thought anyone in Hollywood would actually produce one.

Yet here we are, with Heretica film that delves into some of the philosophical questions surrounding faith, doubt and the nature of faith. It questions the concept of religion as a whole.

What I liked the most Heretic it was how effectively it balanced its horror elements with its great dialogue and character development. The film also features some interesting discussions about faith and religion, questioning the very essence of belief and what it means to truly have faith.

For me, these moments were the strongest part of the film. Through conversations, we really get to know the characters, including the two missionary sisters and the sinister Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant.

Grant, who has received much deserved praise for his performance, brings an uncanny charisma to his role as a seemingly harmless man who quickly reveals a much darker side.

Her interactions with the missionary sisters, played by Chloe East AND Sophie Thatcherare intriguing, especially because their discussions about faith and life echo conversations I’ve had with people through my own experiences.

At one point, there’s a conversation involving Monopoly that mirrors something I experienced while talking to someone, who thankfully didn’t try to kill me. It’s a very interesting and engaging conversation, and these conversations added a strange layer of familiarity.

The portrayal of Mormon missionaries seemed surprisingly accurate. East and Thatcher’s portraits of sister missionaries capture the genuine, sometimes naïve enthusiasm and earnestness that is often a hallmark of Mormon missionaries.

Seeing that authenticity made it easy to care about their characters and the journey they take, especially because the dialogue and themes explored felt so genuine.

But while the first two acts keep you glued to the screen, with intense philosophical conversations and heightened tension, the third act takes a disappointing turn into more familiar horror territory.

By moving from psychological suspense to more traditional horror clichés, the film lost some of the originality and character that made it so engaging. I was completely enthralled until about halfway through the third act, when it felt like the film fell into a more typical horror film formula.

It seems Heretic it traded its introspective exploration of faith for the kind of horror scenes we’ve all seen before that, while effective, felt like a missed opportunity to elevate the film into something truly great.

Independently, Heretic it’s a solid film that largely manages to blend elements of psychological horror with a critique of faith and religion.

In the end, Heretic it’s a fun watch that doesn’t reach its full potential.

Scott Beck AND Bryan Woodsthe writers behind it A quiet placethey deserve credit for their interesting approach to this story, which is a little more layered and complex than your average horror film.