Scott Beck and Bryan Woods shot to prominence after writing the first film in the A Quiet Place franchise. However, they’re also responsible for the critically panned Adam Driver sci-fi vehicle 65, and a bunch of projects they’d rather you not remember. So it’s going to come as a shock what I have to say about their newest film, Heretic. It’s actually pretty damn good. And it gives star Hugh Grant one of the best roles of his career. 

Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are missionaries from the Mormon Church, knocking on doors trying to convert people to their religion. They knock on Mr. Reed (Grant)’s door. They tell him they can’t come in unless a woman is present. He assures them his wife is in the other room baking a blueberry pie. They sit down and have a spirited discussion about faith with Mr. Reed. And then once one of them notices the smell of the blueberry pie is coming from a scented candle, they realize not all is what it seems.

Hugh Grant seems to be in something of a villain era, and he’s embraced that in a way I have been loving. He was the classically handsome romantic lead for many years, and now he seems like he actually enjoys being in front of a camera. He’s having a blast here, and this is easily one of the best roles of his entire career. The film simply does not work without this performance, and without what he is bringing to it at every moment. He’s chilling and he’s intense and the way he challenges their beliefs and the concept of organized religion in general just has the audience hanging on his every word, and it’s all very effective. 

A film being a showcase for one performance is fine, but Heretic needs two powerful characters on the other side of the table for the film to really work. And Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East match Hugh Grant every step of the way. I appreciated that the film depicted these two young religious women, not as weak or as pushovers, but as two people who were ready for this debate and have been thinking to some extent, about the issues the Mr. Reed character brings up to them over the film’s duration. 

The script by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods definitely starts stronger than it finishes, and that’s unfortunate because if this film stuck the landing a little better, this would be one of the best horror films I’ve seen all year. But I also feel like the weaker-by-comparison third act doesn’t really hurt the film all that badly? It sort of delves into nonsense once it remembers it has to line up with the A24 horror movie expectations. It gets wild, it gets nutty and it loses its sense of focus and that’s a problem, but it’s not the biggest problem this movie could have. I could see the viewpoint that this ending could ruin the whole movie for a viewer, but I feel like that would be an overreaction. There’s still lots of good stuff here.

Overall, for the first two-thirds, Heretic is pretty close to a masterclass of suspense and tension, driven by three strong performances and plenty of worthwhile ideas. Unfortunately it unravels a bit on the way to the finish line. It’s the perfect film to see with friends and then go out to dinner afterwards and debate what you thought it all meant. There’s so much to chew on here and this film will undoubtedly start some fascinating conversations and that’s what my favorite kind of movie does. See it for Hugh Grant, see it for the commentary on organized religion, but if you’re seeing it because of what you’re expecting from an A24 horror movie, it may fall a bit short of your expectations.