45/31
Reed with Hugh as their top choice for the role
Two young religious women are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a strange man.. Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East in Heretic, plus more modern women killing the horror game.. Hugh Grant once stated in an interview " ;I'm getting bored of playing obvious roles and being typecast" – writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods saw this interview and wrote the role of Mr. Mr Reed is stabbed in the neck with a letter opener, which he then pulls out. This would cause blood to leak out all over his hand, clothes, the floor…but later in the basement, there’s little evidence of this when near the trapdoor..
Featured in Movie Reviews: Heretic The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)
Mr. Reed: I promise you, the last thing I wanted to do was find the one true religion – but unfortunately, I did.. The end credits state that no Generative Al was used in the making of the film.. Just Like a Butterfly (That’s Caught in the Rain)Performed by Ipana TroubadoursWritten by Harry M. Woods (as Harry Woods) and Mort DixonPublished by Callicoon Music (ASCAP), Bienstock Publishing Company obo Redwood Music Ltd.
(PRS), Warner Chappell Music Ltd
(PRS)Courtesy of Columbia RecordsBy arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment (Canada). I saw seven films at this year’s TIFF, and the one that got my vote for best picture was HERETIC starring Hugh Grant (who also would have gotten my vote for best actor if that was a voting category). I was very impressed seeing him get in touch with his dark side in the HBO miniseries THE UNDOING, but here he takes it to 11 playing an affable, religion-obsessed psychopath. It’s a break from his rom-com persona of schizophrenic proportions. Co-stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East are also excellent playing two Mormon missionary girls who think that they will be calling on someone interested in converting to Mormonism.
The outcome is refreshingly unconventional
But Grant turns out to be far more erudite – and questioning — about religion than they expected. When they realize that he’s not really interested in converting but more in debating religion, they try to depart but discover that they’re trapped inside. So begins a cat and mouse game where Grant puts their faith to the test. As horror goes, it’s solid, but doesn’t reach the extremes of similarly claustrophobic horror films like FUNNY GAMES (original) and SPEAK NO EVIL (2022 version). My only caveat is that the choice of Mormonism for the religion seems a tad calculated.
From Alien: Romulus to Road House, take a look back at some of our favorite posters of 2024
In short, see this movie if you’ve ever enjoyed a Hugh Grant film and want to see him at the peak of his game. I haven’t felt this sure about an acting Oscar nomination for a TIFF film since I saw Allison Janney in I TONYA in 2017Side note: There was a Q & A after the film and several people commended me on the way out for a question I asked: "Was Richard Dawkins an influence?" Co-director Bryan Woods confirmed that he was..