Heretic is the Scariest Ted Talk You’ll Ever Watch
Image Courtesy of A24
By Luis Zonenberg
After the carbon dating failure of 65, directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods decided to terrify audiences in a new way: lecturing them. After all, nothing could be scarier than feeling like you’re back in school for a test while you’re in a movie theater. While this may seem like a silly joke, this movie clearly takes advantage of that and uses the premise to the best of its abilities.
The story follows Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) as they attempt to convert a reclusive Englishman called Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). They are soon caught in a dangerous cat and mouse game as they try to escape. They soon find their faith tested and eventually come to realize that a sinister truth is waiting for them at the end of the trial.
While Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East are fine to watch, this is easily Hugh Grant’s movie. His unique charm and dry wit make him so engaging, adding to the mystery and horror behind his character even more. He finds a brilliant way to balance comedy and horror in his performance so well that it will keep you guessing what his true intentions are.
The cinematography is outstanding, with numerous long-tracking shots that allow for real tension and discomfort to settle in. They cleverly focus in or shadow things of real importance, foreshadowing their dark purpose later on very creatively. Unlike Smile 2, this film does not feel the need to flaunt its shots by having scenes be upside down but instead, they choose to have them linger and angle them in a way that’s much more immersive and terrifying.
That said, the real scares in this film lie in the ideas and concepts it preaches as opposed to cheap jumpscares and creative metaphors. If Christopher Nolan decided to film a Ted Talk on religion, this would probably be how I would describe this movie. The film is clever in addressing how religion plays into our beliefs and shows its many positive and negative attributes .
This leads to a shocking conclusion that would make for one hell of a philosophical theory. If this kind of storytelling does not grab your attention, then I feel this movie might be a little out of a typical viewer’s radar. But if you are a true horror fan and keep an open mind, I feel Heretic may convert many more viewers into broadening their beliefs by the end of this film.
Rating: ★★★★★
