Two days ago, A24’s newest horror flick, Heretic, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, which boasts Hugh Grant as its charmingly villainous lead, explores the cat-and-mouse terror that ensues after two Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) enter a man’s (Hugh Grant) home in an attempt to convert him. Following its premiere, critics have been praising it for its captivating story, claustrophobic visuals, and more.
A Successful Premiere
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Heretic made its world premiere as part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Toronto Special Presentation lineup. It was joined by Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, and many more from around the world. The film comes from the original writers of A Quiet Place, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Beck and Woods are a prolific writer-director duo, having also penned films like The Boogeyman (2023) and the Adam Driver-led sci-fi 65 (2023).
First impressions on X (formerly Twitter) were excitingly positive. Carnival of Horror called it “Well crafted, smartly filmed, tightly scripted, ominously gripping, and most importantly… consistently frightening.” Others used phrases like “clever & thoughtful”, “brilliant”, and “thrilling.” The movie currently holds an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and an eight out of 10 on IMDb.
Since the movie’s premiere, critics have wasted no time sharing their favorable thoughts in extensive reviews. Writing for RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico praised Beck and Woods’ script for its tense storytelling, Chung-hoon Chung’s (Oldboy) sweeping and emotional cinematography, and the movie’s discussion of the human condition. Several others recognize Hugh Grant for his “charming and dastardly” performance and compelling monologues in his first horror movie.
A New Genre for the Cast
Hugh Grant is easily the biggest name included in the small cast. Grant has had a hold on the romance and comedy genres since the start of his acting career in the 1980s, something he’s worked to distance himself from. His role as the devious Mr. Reed makes this movie Grant’s official horror debut. While Grant did star in the supernatural comedy The Lair of the White Worm (1988), the film still had a light-hearted tone to it. Heretic defines an entirely new, dark direction for Hugh Grant.
Hugh Grant’s co-stars bring with them varying levels of experience that are reflected in their characters. The movie stars Chloe East as the naive Sister Paxton. East made her film debut in 2019 with the small dance film Next Level. Since then, she has only had a role in one other horror movie, the 2020 comedy werewolf flick The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Starring opposite East is Sophie Thatcher as an edgier Sister Barnes. Thatcher brings with her some experience in the horror and thriller genres thanks to her roles in Yellowjackets (2021-present), The Boogeyman (2023), The Exorcist (2016), and a cameo in MaXXXine (2024).
Final Thoughts
If the critics’ reviews of Heretic are anything to go by, fans should be running to theaters on November 15th to catch its theatrical release. The big screen will be graced by captivating performances from Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher, and Hugh Grant. Their varying degrees of experience with the horror genre are sure to add nuance to these performances. Based on initial reactions at the Toronto International Film Festival, audiences will be in for a fun and wild ride of chilling monologues, claustrophobic cinematography, and a performance from Hugh Grant that may just be the best of his career.
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