Heretic

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

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In a film that is sure to strike fear in the hearts of door-to-door missionaries, here is “Heretic” by directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (“Haunt”). The film is a bit too much of a twist and turn but it does keep you guessing with a vivid atmosphere reminiscent of Ari Aster.

Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are two Mormon missionaries who stop at a house that resembles gingerbread. It looks quaint and homey despite the pouring rain.

Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) a shy, self-deprecating, middle-aged man comes to the door and eagerly accepts The Latter-Day Saints brochure saying cheerfully that he is indeed interested. Both Barnes and Paxton are immediately charmed by the man’s eagerness.

Reed offers pie but it is long in coming.

He then asks them about their lives, gradually steering them to increasingly uncomfortable subjects, regarding religious dilemmas and polygamy.

The two missionaries step back with reserve and want to leave. They cannot continue without a female present and given the pauses, stalls, and piercing stares, it becomes clear that Reed is a bachelor with no spouse or blueberry pie.

After fruitlessly trying one creaky door after another, Reed informs them with a deflated put-on expression, that the front door is permanently locked till morning.

He then proceeds to interrogate them about their religious beliefs questioning loyalty and faith. According to Reed, organized religion was built upon story after story with the Torah as the original template as far as Christianity and Islam are concerned. To illustrate his point, Reed plays the slightly eerie song “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies. He tells them that the song “Creep” by Radiohead reuses the chord progression and melody from The Hollies tune, proving that all things come from a version of something else. Reed also mentions the Monopoly board game saying that it too came from a prior version called The Landlord’s Game by creator Elizabeth Margie. Given these facts, Reed pontificates, no organized religion is truly authentic.

Barnes and Paxton are terrified. Reed has no intention of allowing them to leave.

Hugh Grant is terrific here, playing against type as a manic anti-religious obsessive. Like a tale by Roald Dahl, the start of the film has both apprehension and humor.

At midway, the spark of surprise weakens slightly once the audience knows we are dealing with a driven man in a dark, damp house. Still there is enough suspense and dark dialogue exchange to keep the Halloween Horrors going. Thatcher and East are both solid and earnest but it is Hugh Grant who shines with kooky menace while also seeming genuinely vexed by religion.

One might wish for Mr. Reed to be more illuminated, but the fun is in the mystery. The endless creaking doors and loud bangs seem mere minor accessories against the weird and very real charge of Hugh Grant.

Write Ian at ianfree11@yahoo.com