There have been quite a few films recently that I have wanted to see, but one that has caught my eye in the last film trailers I watched was Heretic. It’s been weeks and weeks waiting for this to come out, and finally, a few weeks ago, I had the chance to go and see it. What caught my interest the most about this film, though, was indeed Hugh Grant himself. This is a bit of a different genre to what I’m used to seeing him play a part in, and I think that’s what got my curiosity. I wanted to see Hugh play a villain for a change and see a darker side to him as an actor. Plus, if one of the greatest is in a thriller/horror, it surely means it’s got a strong storyline compared to ones with an unknown cast? That was my logic, anyway. Although the trailer looked good, I don’t feel it gave a lot away and so I went into the cinema not knowing what to expect, so with that in mind, here is my honest review of the film and whether this is the downfall of Hugh Grant’s acting career.
The Heretic was released on the 1st of November and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Although it is labelled a horror/thriller, I would say it’s a strong psychological thriller. There is a slight clue in the title of the film, but for those like me who were a bit unsure, Heretic is heavily based around religion. It follows the story of two Mormon missionaries who arrive at the home of an Englishman, Mr Reed, who they try to convert, only to realise he is more dangerous than he seems. They become part of his deadly game of cat and mouse facing psychological and supernatural horrors as their beliefs and survival instincts are tested to the limit. Despite the trailer and how good it looked from the clips shown, the film was even better than the trailer, and it really doesn’t give much away at all. I actually think it leaves more to the mystery and unknown. What I mean is I feel the trailer grabs your attention without giving away the whole film.
I felt the script was excellent. It was clever and made you think about how far one would go for what they believe in. Despite whether you agreed with Mr Reeds’ views or not, he put across a good argument. It avoided the typical things that you see in every horror movie, and the ending didn’t go the way you thought it would go, which I enjoyed because I hate predictable endings. Speaking of the ending, I did feel it could have been better, there were things I liked and things I didn’t but because this is a spoiler free review, I guess that statement will have to remain cryptic. One thing I will say is if it’s a horror film you wanted and I did mention this at the start, this isn’t that. There is probably one jump scare, but it wasn’t even that bad, suspense. However, there is a lot of. There was a little comedy throughout, and I loved that, but it doesn’t take away from the thrill. Lighthearted it is not. The extreme Hugh’s character goes to prove his point about religion is engaging and thought-provoking.
The film has a small cast, and that leaves no room for bad acting as there are fewer people to focus on and divide your attention to. Hugh Grant was the star of the film. He was, in fact, nothing short of fantastic. He deserves all the praise he’s been receiving. Hugh plays the role of a psychopathic villain perfectly, if that ever was a compliment. I really enjoyed the fact that he stepped away from his typical heart throb character and gave a haunting and chilling performance. As much as I love him playing a prime minister or a love interest of Bridget Jones’ this is my favourite role of his yet. More of this, please! We can not leave out Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East. The script complimented both of the Mormons’ personalities, which made the way they behaved and both of their next moves believable. Because of this, they both portrayed their characters very well. The script plays a key part and is very well written, but the way the three of them deliver the dialogue is faultless.
The set is relatively small, with the film mainly taking place in Mr Reeds’ home. Visually, the lighting was low if not in darkness at times, which perfectly compliments the themes of despair and, in the case of the two Mormons, isolated. The use of dimmed lighting creates a sense of bleakness that immerses us in the two girls’ struggles. The camera work is also something worth mentioning. The tight close ups of Hugh when he’s talking are gripping and he leans into the camera well and it can feel like he’s personally talking to you at times, keeping you captivated, and wandering what his next move is. The use of sound can make you feel on edge. From the drips of water falling to the times when there is no sound at all and just uncomfortable silences, a build-up of these things kept you alert throughout. There weren’t too many clichés. Everything felt about right, and because of this, you couldn’t tell how the film was going to play or the direction of how it might end.
Overall I really enjoyed the film. It was definitely a film of two halves, the first one being the better half. I also reckon if you watch the film a second time, you would pick up on things that you might of missed the first time. I feel it leaves you with a few questions, and if you are going to watch it with someone or a group of you, they’ll definitely be a bit of healthy debate and things to discuss. That is something you don’t expect from a film labelled as a horror! Despite religion being one of the three things that is said shouldn’t be spoken about, this film does a great job of showing both sides of the coin and actually proves to ourselves that our minds are the most powerful part of us. It’s definitely worth a watch if you get a chance to go, and if you have seen this film already, I’m interested to know your thoughts!
My film rating: 9/10
Amy x
littlemissminor.com 