'The Heretic' Poses Some Valid Questions About God
How do you make a film about Religion without offending anyone? You can't, but Heretic might be a safe way to go about it. Another would be Kevin Smith's Dogma. Heretic is similar to the classic tale of Dracula. Think of it as when Johnathon Harker meets Draco, except the Count is a little less creepy from the get-go. The undoubtedly charming Hugh Grant plays the antagonist of the film with a wonderful impersonation of himself to throw you off guard. Heretic isn't as much a horror film as it is a discussion on the validity of Religion. Is it real or a scam? Why does it exist, and why do some of us live to serve a deity instead of ourselves?
The story starts with an unexpected direction that would be something you'd see in a Sean Baker film. The camera slowly dollies out from behind two girls' heads sitting on a park bench, revealing a sexually graphic billboard for Magnum Condoms. The ad sparks an interesting conversation linking porn to God. Organized Religion frowns upon sex without marriage. Or I believe it does. Much of the film's Religious discussion requires one to be knowladgable of at least one of the "big three" books. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Also, if you're familiar with some of the Bible, there are things in there that wouldn't pass as acceptable today. Click or tap on this sentence here for an epic takedown of religious propoganda from The West Wing. Yet we still use Religion as a tool of division instead of a unifying factor of love throughout the world.
The Mormon protagonists in this film use their Creed for companionship. As they go door to door trying to convert strangers to their orginization. On one fateful day, Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) takes the girls into his large estate during a rainy storm to get them out of the cold. Little do they know what horror awaits them. The film does a good job with its aesthetics, foreboding what's about to happen. The soft claps of thunder from the rain storm indicate danger. Before we even see Mr. Reed's face, he's hidden behind a sliver of non-reflective glass, appearing as a shadowy, intimidating figure.
Of course, when the door opens, one of the most likable people imaginable welcomes the nuns with a big smile on his face. It turns out two nuns can't enter a man's house unless a wife is present. Mr. Reed assures the girls his wife is residing within the household, making it perfectly safe for them to enter. And as you can probably guess, there is no wife. Or is there?
In most horror films, Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) would be dumb slabs of meat ready to be chopped up. Or at least one of them would get killed because she did something foolish. The cleverness of this film is how the girls try to outsmart an incredibly intelligent abductor. The outwitting isn't in terms of manipulating some kind of game the host has set. Instead, the sisters must reach a logical conclusion with Reed on the subject of Religion. Unfortunately, Mr. Reed isn't interested in persuasion of any sort. He's only invested in everyone agreeing with his point of view. Is it agnosticism, atheism, or something else? You'd have to watch the movie to find out.
The film shines at its brightest when it examines the contradictions of Religion. Mr. Reed may be a psychopath, but he makes some very valid points. After all, psychotic and genius often go hand in hand. All of the top three religions share a derivation of the same story. That story where a person gets killed and then is resurrected. The resurrection angle takes a quite literal turn in the third half of the film, where it begins to feel too much like a conventional horror film at that point. I get why it's there. It's even a bit creepy, but it kind of hammers down the point for the audience when it doesn't need to.
However, it does bring up another good argument. Everyone's near-death experiences are nothing more than the mind creating a sense of calm when your body ceases to function. More interestingly, that fact doesn't come from Mr. Reed but rather from one of the young nuns.
The Heretic is neither pro-religious nor anti-religious. However, unlike Alex Garland's Civil War, it's not afraid to tackle controversial topics with uncomfortable discussions that should be had. The movie could have benefitted from some character development between Sistesr Paxton and Barnes—or even Mr. Reeed. We know they're Mormons, but why are they Mormons? What drew them towards God? Furthermore, what made a reasonable man like Mr. Reed snap? I think I know what it is, but I'd spoil the film if I told you.
I'm watching a movie about three very interesting characters, and I would like to learn a little bit more about them to motivate me to care about them. Heretic is certain to stir a debate after the film, as it displays the smarts horror movies can have. With The Substance taking a stance on beauty standards for women and The Heretic having a meaningful conversation about God, it's nice to see a year of elevated, existential horror making its way into the spotlight.
