“Heretic” had every reason for me to love it, with Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and a basis in religious horror, yet somehow it fell flat for me. The premise is top-notch — two young missionaries, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, are asked to prove their faith through a game of cat and mouse when invited into the home of the diabolical Mr. Reed, played by Grant. The film is anchored by great performances from all of its stars, but it loses its momentum in the back half, failing to fully deliver on the great promise it showed in the beginning.
That being said, even if I didn’t love it, there are so many incredible aspects to “Heretic” that merit a watch. One of these aspects is of course the performances. With this movie, Sophie Thatcher solidifies her place as an undeniable scream queen. The sheer terror and anxiety within her performance, and the ability to convey so much through her eyes alone, is absolutely mesmerizing. Grant, of course, is resplendent in the role of Mr. Reed, as he manages to be both entertaining and hilarious while also downright diabolic. East is the often-overlooked star of the show. She plays Sister Paxton, the more naive and devout of the two missionaries. She is sweet and gentle, someone you think would be the first to go in a horror movie — spoilers from here onward. However, it’s Sister Paxton who is the last girl standing in the film. Throughout the entire film, even as she encounters horror after horror, she retains her kindness and urge to love above all else. East’s ability to depict this character with such tenderness, while also conveying the weight of the horror she is enduring, is remarkable.
Sister Paxton being the final girl was maybe the highlight of this film for me. Her softness doesn’t wane in the film. In fact, she perhaps even survives because of it. I loved the space this film held for a character to be kind and to retain those pieces of themselves even as they undergo extreme trauma. Sister Paxton ends the film with a kind of kindness forged in steel, a heart that desires to be good to others, not despite but because so much wrong has been done to her. Her naivete does affect her at times throughout the film, but ultimately her ability to hope and to love is what leads her back into the light. Speaking as someone who has had their kindness and soft heart mistaken for weakness at multiple turns, this arc for Sister Paxton’s character was incredibly beautiful and empowering to me.
Additionally, as dark and twisted as this film is, it is also full of hope. There is a sharp critique of religion and the ways in which various religions have been used to divide so many within the film. But there is also a turning towards hope — an idea that hope and faith could be used to highlight our common humanity instead of creating divides. The film itself exemplifies this, as it concludes on a note of faith and hope, not taking the side of any one religion but instead siding in favor of belief in goodness and hope.
Sister Paxton escapes Mr. Reed’s home, stumbling out into the snow. The final shots of the film show Sister Paxton with a butterfly landing on her hand. Now, there are multiple interpretations of the ending of this film, but if going with the assumption that Sister Paxton has escaped and lived to see another day, this ending is one of a kind of hope. Earlier in the film, Sister Paxton states that if she were to be reincarnated she would want to appear as a butterfly. Sister Barnes, who was killed earlier in the film, was present for this conversation and can be interpreted as being the butterfly that lands on Sister Paxton’s hand at the end. This ending is one of connectedness, of the cycles of life, a reminder of hope and renewal in each new day. Furthermore, even if this ending is interpreted not as Sister Paxton surviving but rather as her entering the afterlife, it still offers a kind of hope in there being something better, along with a sense of renewal.
“Heretic” is a film in which good truly triumphs over evil, and faith and hope over everything else. Even if it fails to be as perfectly dark and twisted as it seemed to promise, it still is a fascinating horror film that I think we will be talking about for many years to come. Horror can be many different things, but horror movies that challenge you to think differently, to consider yourself and your beliefs are a truly special part of the genre. “Heretic” isn’t perfect — far from it — but it’s a brave leap into questions of faith and morality, a daring film that didn’t quite land but was more than worth the try.