Heretic movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Heretic

This creepy, frustrating, psychologial horror movie is now playing in theaters, as well as on Fandango at Home.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 51 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

What’s going on with Hollywood lately that they’re putting out movies that attack various churches’ beliefs? We had Conclave, Small Things Like These, and now Heretic, all within a month’s release. Of course, Hollywood has put out dozens of other movies before that point an ugly finger at people’s belief in God and how they choose to practice their faith. I can’t stand movies that tear down other people’s faith in God, no matter the religion.

The story is about two Mormon missionaries who are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a dangerous heretic. I don’t normally like bloody, gory, horror movies like this but I was really curious to see how the Mormon missionaries would be portrayed.

I have a lot to say about this movie because I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a full-time mission in Spain when I was young like the sister missionaries in this film. By the way, while the world calls us “Mormons”, the true name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For a psychological horror, the movie did a great job. For a correct representation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the movie did quite poorly.

The film was directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods who also wrote the screenplay.

THINGS I LIKED:

Hugh Grant, as it turns out, is a very effective villain with a charming dark side. He’s absolutely fantastic in this. He has taken on quite a few roles as villains in recent movies and always crushes it. His endearing British accent and humor has always drawn audiences in. In this film, he plays a heretic, which means somone who disagrees with beliefs that are generally accepted. You can be a heretic without murdering people. This movie should be called “Lunatic.” In 2016, Hugh Grant made a statement about his own religious stance in real life, declaring, “I wish I could believe, but I can’t. I’ve tried and I’ve failed.” If that’s true, he must have taken a special delight in playing this role.
The sister missionaries are played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East. They both did an excellent job. I read that the they both grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s a shame they didn’t know their own religion better to correct the MANY mistakes about the church and its doctrine that are talked about in the film.
It’s true that missionaries are not allowed to enter homes if the opposite sex is the only one there. The film portrayed that idea well. It’s a wise policy.
Topher Grace has a small role in the film.
The cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung was extremely effective.
The production design by Philip Messina showed us a deceivingly quaint house in the beginning, only to reveal the true horror of the house and the villain in the basement. Who doesn’t love a complicated labrynth?
I really like A24 as a studio because it’s always presenting new ideas and styles of film to us.
The soundtrack includes lyrics about belief and utilizes such songs as “Creep” by Radiohead, an appropriate selection.
There are quite a few illustrations of control versus choices. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ believe that free agency is VITAL. No one is forced to do anything; everyone must decide for themselves how they want to live their life, and to believe or disbelieve.
I liked that the film, in some ways, challenges the typical stereotype of naiive missionaries by showing young women who have chosen to believe and are smart enough to figure out certain things about Mr. Reed’s lies, flawed logic, and plan.
It’s fascinating to see how our polite society can prevent people from using their brains when it comes to personal safety.
Compared to most horror movies, this one had some intellectual conversations that beefed up the content considerably. I think it’s important to challenge one’s own beliefs. Doubts lead to answers.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

This movie made me so frustrated. There are sooooo many things about Mormons and missionaries that are NOT true at all. I also can’t stand that the TV show “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” continues to spread lies about what Latter-day Saints actually believe. If you want to know what Latter-day Saints actually believe, you should visit www.churchofjesuschrist.org
For example, the movie starts off with a ridiculous conversation about porn and sex that the sister missionaries are having. Hollywood has a really hard time comprehending that not everyone is obsessed with sex. Mormons also do not believe in reincarnation and do not practice plural marriage.
The writers also seem obsessed with talking about “magic underwear” that Latter-day Saints wear. They’re not magic; they’re symbolic and even biblically based. Some LDS members do have special garments they wear under their clothes, but they definitely don’t call them “magic underwear”. If you crack a history book, you know that many religions wear special clothing that symbolizes sacred things to them. Everyone should show respect to those who take their religion seriously.
The writers think they’re smarter than they are. Some of the arguments are ridiculous and full of holes. I ran into a few people like Mr. Reed who thought they knew everything about the church and just wanted to debate the young missionaries for entertainment rather than to actually learn anything new. If they were honest, they would talk to an older leader in the church who understood the deep doctrine better. It’s true that the young missionaries don’t know everything yet, but their faith and willingness to serve others is inspiring.
I thought it was interesting and kind of weird that at the end of the movie, the end credits stated, “No generative AI was used in the making of this film.”
Missionaries are required to serve with a companion. Topher Grace plays a missionary who is out by himself, which would never happen. He looked older than “regular” missionaries, so he could have been a Ward Missionary, although that’s not made clear in the film.
In several ways, the movie reminded me of the popular Broadway comedy musical “The Book of Mormon”. I sat with an audience that howled with laughter, blindly accepting all of the offensive lies and half-truths about the doctrine of the church. It made me sad, honestly. The actual Book of Mormon is way better than the musical or this movie. If you want to know what it’s all about, read the book!
Sister Paxton talks about a study that “proved” prayer doesn’t work with patients, but she claims it’s still nice to think of others. In real life, there have been quite a few studies that HAVE shown it makes a difference in recovery. Check out the studies done by St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, the 2001 British Medical Journal, Florida State University, and CentraState Healthcare System, to name a few.
Act 3 ends in a disappointing, simplistic way, especially considering the movie’s attempt to elevate the horror with thought-provoking content. So what was the movie REALLY trying to say? Most audiences will agree that the acting, conversations, and suspense were all really good; however, they’ll probably walk out doubting their own beliefs.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

This is not appropriate for children.
Bullying – some girls pull down the skirt of one of the missionaries.
Violence
Blood and gore
Talk of porn and sex
Kidnapping and abuse

THEMES:

Faith and doubt
Control
Religious doctrine
Miracles
Mistaken reality
Near-death experiences
Memories
Choices

FUNNY LINES:

None noted.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Who cares what people think?” – Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher)
“It’s so important to find your faith in a doctrine you actually believe. That’s a very, very personal struggle.” – Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant)
“What is the one, true religion?” – Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant)
“The more you know, the less you know.” Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant)
“It’s a simple choice but it should not be made simply.” – Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant)
“I’m asking you to choose between belief and disbelief.” – Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant)
“The only thing that matters right now is what we actually believe.” – Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher)
“We’re your prisoners, so it doesn’t make sense for us to have an opinion.” – Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher)
“I can’t tell if you’re playing Chess or Checkers.” – Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher)
“You want me to believe that the one, true religion is control.” – Sister Paxton (Chloe East)
“Prayer is just a nice way to think that there is someone other than yourself.” – Sister Paxton (Chloe East)
“The only way out is through.” – Sister Paxton (Chloe East)