Heretic
2024 Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
Religion in horror films often relies on a certain acceptance of the supernatural and the rites inherent in overpowering the evil beings. The watcher is given the rules by which the world exists, and through that prism they can suspend disbelief and be horrified. But this film is structured by its very nature to be an inquiry into that narrative.
The film starts with two Mormon missionaries, Barnes and Paxton, coming to a man's house (Mr. Reed) to discuss their faith. Sophie Thatcher plays Sister Barnes as the intelligent believer whose able to stand up to the man's philosophizing. Thankfully Thatcher is able to not pull all the focus away to her archetype badass character and give room for the naive portrayal of Sister Paxton by Chloe East. Paxton doesn't seem as bright- given a funny recollection of feeling of God's Will by watching a pornographic film. The film's trailers gave this first act away, but Hugh Grant as Reed is capable of delivering a stylized philosophical story while exerting creepy professor energy.
It's here where the audience is given ample time to both listen and relate this debate to their own internal thought process. Some of it could easily turn a person off, simply being dismissive, but I enjoyed how Grant was able to give a basis for his reasoning more than a typical horror film. For all his arguments it also underscores his neediness to be listened to.
It was funny to me that earlier in the day I had just watched Saw 2- which has its own moralizing antagonist in Jigsaw- who seems to only believe in the punitive fire of near death experiences (a film which itself is full of iconography of horrific tableaus). It is in this transformative arc that this film also bubbles up with questions of how the supernatural is within our lives, or used to propagate religion. Even the author of Rosemary's Baby pondered whether or not his work helped lead to a rise of fundamentalism.
There was a point where I wondered whether or not this kind of articulation of belief may focus too much on that intellectual aspect- not delving into the lizard brain quality of being scared. Thankfully all of this buildup does lead to a cheerfully grotesque Hugh Grant - while the deconstruction of his arguments don't feel drenched in dogma. The prescribed archetypes of the missionaries are given more characterization, and defy what stereotypes we may project on to them. This is rewarding as a film that invites the viewer to partake in the game.