HERETIC Movie Review | Hugh Grant | Sophie Thatcher | Chloe East | A24

[@HecticLlama]

I just saw this today with my husband and as exMormons we loved it. We were very impressed with how well it portrayed the missionary companion relationship, the doctrinal points, and the cultural lingo. So many shows get it *almost* right, but just off enough that anyone who’s been a member of the church can immediately clock that it’s done by an outsider. Not so for this film. It probably helps that both lead female actors grew up Mormon. I hope you do a spoiler-included discussion too because I’d love to hear your thoughts on the ending.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Ah, that's so interesting, thank you for that insight!

[@KodyNewton]

Ex Mormon here also. I served in Spain in 2000. Loved the little things (like thanking him as they go through the back door ha). This was my fav movie of the year because it felt so authentic.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

@@KodyNewton Thank you for that insight!

[@maimoneattia]

​@@BreakfastAllDayI'm still a newbie when it comes to horror, so I'm easily impressed and found the last half gripping. I'm curious: Why was the 2nd half weaker? Did it slide into predictablity and horror conventions? Was the story too contrived, to fit the "religion is control" theme? Would the film have been better if it played out more like that slow burn dialog scene that happens in the tavern, in Inglorious Bastards?

[@rossbooth4635]

You weren't put off by the whole butterfly thing? No Mormon missionary would ever talk about reincarnation. I did like it a lot though.

[@cirugo7042]

Haha Christy I love your promo transitions

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Ha, thank you, we aim to entertain!

[@ryangettig274]

Flawless/Seamless🙏

[@plusmin09]

So GLAD to see these guys again after so long of not hearing from them. SUBSCRIBED!!

[@BreakfastAllDay]

So glad you found us! We’ve been here for about six years now.

[@commandZee]

I think he's earned his way up to being a classic style Bond villain.

[@AllInTheGame01]

Have enjoyed the direction Hugh Grant's career has gone over the last decade re the variety of his roles/projects (A Very English Scandal, Heretic, Wonka, Dungeons & Dragons, The Gentlemen, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Undoing & Paddington 2), been great to watch his evolution as an actor from the bumbling romantic lead :)

[@angelthman1659]

He didn't start out as a bumbling romantic lead. He started out as a serious actor in period dramas.

[@AllInTheGame01]

@@angelthman1659 True, however the vast majority of the general audience who go to the movies simply remember him as the guy who got his start as the bumbling romantic lead in Richard Curtis movies.

[@robaquarian]

Mormons can't have decaf either. they can have caffeine like red bull but not coffee. weird.

[@HecticLlama]

It makes perfect sense when you grow up in it, but yeah, it’s weird 😂

[@zakzak12321]

They are supposed to avoid drinking hot drinks , it has nothing to do with caffeine

[@breadordecide]

Religion is wonderful.

[@robaquarian]

@@zakzak12321 why not iced coffee then?

[@LockeDemosthenes2]

Just like most religious dietary restrictions, it's very arbitrary.

[@frmm123]

Hugh Grant will always be remembered in my book for his role as Frédéric Chopin in Impromptu (1991), with a roiling performance by Julian Sands as Franz List, and a great rendition of George Sand by Judy Davis. If loving Chopin began with his music, seeing him come to life with Grant's performance has made me a lifetime passionate lover of all things Chopin. And now, as an avowedly staunch Atheist, what a peculiar validation, though I wouldn't consider myself as militant as Grant's character. My experience with Latter Day Saints always entailed meeting with the couplet of men in white shirts and black slacks; but the thing about picking on religion is that, for example, Utah has one of the most incredible cathedrals in the world.

[@priscilabee583]

An 8/10 for me. I was engaged all the way through.

[@1pknail]

I really liked this. It does get less impressive in the second half but the ending won me back over.

[@Audecibel]

It's funny the ad that started before your review was from the LDS church.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Ha, that's weird!

[@HecticLlama]

I’m an exMormon and a lot of exMo videos get ads from the church placed in them too 😂

[@taya12020]

This is a solid 8 for me. It worked all the way through. Loved the performances.

[@pesky716]

Same number for me

[@jeffdecker2011]

Watched this today and unlike most everyone else (apparently) I don't feel like it loses all that much in the second half. The horror becomes more obvious, yes, but Chloe East was so good and the evolution of her character so fulfilling that she carried the last 20 minutes or so. Hugh Grant was fun and weird throughout, and it felt like a movie that will need to be seen a second time to unpack it all. It was funnier than I expected, especially that opening scene. :)

[@1marcelo]

I agree with you completely and I Iove the last take where the girl looks around but we don't know what she sees

[@jasonsandoval680]

Movie - 6 Hugh Grant - 9

[@Mr_Justy]

Thank god for A24 for making movies for adults and younger movie lovers. Seems like we are finally coming out of the superhero phase where “joker” passes as good cinema

[@Celestialrob]

Just seen it and we really enjoyed the whole religious discussion. The first half is electric - would make a great stage play - second half, as you said, was good but more grounded in genre conventions. 7/10

[@professorderoteiro]

I found the film interesting from start to finish. Of course, the first half has more mystery and therefore sounds more interesting. However, the second half is full of thought-provoking scenes, such as the movement of the prophet's body., Hugh Grant's character removing the contraceptive implant, etc. Furthermore, elements such as the butterfly, the piece of wood with nails and so on return in the third act in a surprising and extremely impactful way.

[@sdommiller]

I was a Mormon missionary. In Romania, from '04-'06. (have since left). After I saw the trailer, I was so scared and unknowing of where this could possibly go. I'll see this, but I will not see it alone. And we need more horror about Mormonism.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Oh wow, please let us know what you think!

[@robaquarian]

Every time i've talked to mormon missionaries there is always one that is more passive and one that is more confrontational.

[@HecticLlama]

It’s true. They’re paired up by how long they’ve been on the mission, one who has more experience and one who is newer (senior and junior companion) so the more experienced one usually takes the lead.

[@vfxtutswithdan1893]

@@HecticLlama Not necessarily true.

[@HecticLlama]

@@vfxtutswithdan1893 that’s why I said “usually”

[@BobSullivanAKABuffy]

I went in fully expecting to love this. Didn't feel anywhere near as tense or scary as I was hoping for. Wouldn't it have been funny if it was Helen Mirren from Winchester under that shroud?! "It doesn't get shitty!" belongs on the posters and ads.

[@matchesmalone2625]

I had a similar reaction. I honestly thought the movie would get weird, but when it turned out it was exactly as the character is trying to convey, I was checked our

[@robaquarian]

I was dissapointed he brought poligamy but not the fact the church didnt allow black people into the preisthood until 1978.

[@jelaniscott2185]

Literally said coffee at the same time as Christy 😅 another great review! Any chance y'all are gonna do a spoiler review on this one??

[@josephgreene9789]

I was a Mormon missionary in Japan from 2003-2005 and I loved it! I appreciated that it got most of the little details right about the church and being a missionary.

[@csjcsj2906]

During LA's Vista Theatre 35mm pre-show, it was nice and hilarious that one of the trailers was actually "Exorcist II: The Heretic"

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Clever!

[@rossbooth4635]

I grew up Mormon and there were only two things they got wrong. One, Mormons don't believe in any kind of reincarnation. Two, Topher Grace is a (45-year old) missionary with no companion. That would never happen.

[@vfxtutswithdan1893]

You are way off on your assessment of Elizabeth Smart. She was 14 (and a young, sheltered one at that) and her abductor was a much stronger, violent man. He threatened her and her younger sister. It seems like she could have escaped many times, but there is a weird dichotomy that develops between young women and their abusers. Those of us (particularly men) who have never been in that frightening situation can second guess it all we want, but we will never understand what victims of violence and abuse endure and how they react. Her experience with her faith would not have taught her to submit to that.

[@kinghutt79]

Just saw it. Couldn't agree with Christy more. First hour is really great with sharp, smart dialogue. Second hour is sloppy and less interesting. Right between you both with a 6.6

[@junipernelsjensen]

I 100% agree with your sentiment towards the second half of the movie. I thought the blending of the comedy of the situation and the menace that Hugh Grant brings to the screen, but the ending felt a lot less interesting than the dialogue of the first half. I was able to see this in Dolby Atomos and the sound design was really effective. I just wish teh script didn't lean into the conventions of the elevated horror genre that A24 helped popularize with Hereditary, It Comes at Night, and The VVitch

[@yiarkungfu]

This is a must watch since I was born in Utah and have had tons of interactions with missionaries. I also lived 5 blocks from where Elizabeth Smart lived. She was abducted by a shady guy who was hired by her father to do some cheap work on his house.

[@abhiezibran9654]

What would Have made it more interesting for you, Just curious

[@dthill96]

4 out of 5 for me. Saw in a packed house tonight and had the 🎥 had the audience in its hand. I’ll say that this person next to me was making a sucking sound with their teeth for a few minutes and it was driving me NUTS 😂). As someone who’s agnostic/borderline atheist I appreciated how much respect Beck & Woods gave to not just the Mormon Church but religion as a whole. Because I’m friendly with and know quite a few Mormons and have an idea of what their lives are like (I forget if this was before the age of 18 or the age of 21 but no R rated 🎥s and another one is no sex till marriage including masturbation, etc). All 3 actors give great performances and Chung Chung-Hoon along with his camera operators get some really cool long tracking shots and some intense up close shots of Hugh Grant & the girls when the suspense gets higher & higher. I feel like because of the setting & the amount of characters I can see this getting reworked into being a play. My main negative I think minus the pacing issues I had with the second half (I felt it slowed down a bit) I feel having Topher Grace was a waste given the size of his role/amount of dialogue and I just feel that role could’ve been played by anyone.

[@musicmann1967]

Man, I LOVED this movie!!! The "horror" part was maybe less intriguing than the long "debate" over religion/philosophy, but I was totally entertained anyway. Reminded me of "Barbarian" a bit once they go through the door, but that's a superficial resemblence and didn't bother me. Hugh Grant was in top form and his performance was just fantastic!!!

[@MrLando0]

I grew up Mormon and a big horror fan, so this movie was made for me. The one sister missionary looks a lot like Anya Taylor Joy.

[@PAmoviefanatic]

They also wrote and directed HAUNT (2019(, which had me in knots at times.

[@marikotrue3488]

I have a "checkered" history regarding religious and cult issues, so the first half of this film sounds fascinating. For the remainder, I will have to do more research as an R-rated movie by A24 is not usually for those who view horror films through scrim-like devices.

[@martymascarin486]

Interested in seeing this for sure; but Anora's also in town--amazingly for our humble burgh---so which choose first? lol

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Tough choices! Maybe see Anora first, then this.

[@richardloyd8753]

I probably give it an 8 myself because I think Hugh Grant played a wonderful bad guy. I think like 2nd part more than you both because was expecting a horror movie and think would be misleading if it wasn't Also 2nd half is more about faith I think some might think is to over top especially one part near the end but I think that is point since there is lot of unbelievable things in bible Overall I think is lot of fun and good movie that examines what is true faith and the horror of how one can lose themselves trying figure out what is the one real truth of it all I think would maybe be fun to have a prequel on showing why Hugh Grant's character was so obsessed over religion and what drove him to that point

[@user-ok1vf6qx4k]

Hugh Grant is a really good actor.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Isn't he great in this? It's such a fun performance.

[@user-ok1vf6qx4k]

@BreakfastAllDay I absolutely agree.

[@EppyGibbon]

I loved the first half of 'Heretic', but definitely not the second.

[@AXXXXA]

The first half was awesome, then just fell apart. Great bob dylan cover at the end by sophie thatcher.

[@bruh_hahaha]

Amazing performances from the three leads. The movie had its hooks in me up until the girls went through the door. For me Heretic is this year’s Barbarian. 🍿

[@kevinmaynard249]

With you on most of the fall films and I love Hugh Grant especially as a villain but can't do horror. The one movie I disagree with you on vehemently was Blitz, started strong, beautiful and I love Saoirse. But I found that movie diffuse, plodding, wildly inconsistent in tone and very unemotional. A Real Pain, Anora, The Wild Robot, Thelma - so far my favorites this year!

[@BD-yd5dl]

I just saw this movie. I'm much higher than Christie and Alonzo, I'd go 8 / 10 easily

[@jeffreymcquillen1208]

65 is not that bad. For Father's, it's kind of interesting.

[@claudiogallucci563]

Good morning hugh was scary and great.. to be honest once the door was locked most people women should be curing screamm let the fuck out open the door and fliiping i would be. Granted im 48 male and they are teenage girls and super polite and religious but still after a while i would expect one of them to sceam or cry or something.. yes they are young and super polite and maybe didnt want upset him. ... CANT WAIT for season 3 Yellowjackets

[@frankenviews4069]

You just know Mr Reed is a big fan of Joe Rogan.

[@mclebowski]

The trailer gave away too much of the first half away and that made the first half less enjoyable for me. Though it has some flaws I actually enjoyed the second half more. Either way, it’s entertaining throughout.

[@KnarfStein]

1:58 Ugh, if you're going to use the term "mansplain", at least use it appropriately. Sharing knowledge isn't a gendered endeavour.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Ha, have you seen the movie yet?

[@dereksimons1525]

"Ugh" Not sure how you would know if they're using it appropriately or not given you haven't even seen the movie.

[@martymascarin486]

A contrast in climaxes between "Anora" and "Heretic"; The final scene in "Anora" is beautifully orchestrated, conveying much emotion wordlessly that actually transitions during an intimate moment, whereas "Heretic's" last moment, though nuanced and also wordless, comes in the wake of a disastrous last act that takes a steep wrong turn down into horror, introducing many odd, unlikely elements conjuring more questions than answers, clouding what has been otherwise a delicious, disquieting set-up. Wonderful work by Hugh Grant, Chloe East, and Sophie Thatcher.

[@SydneyTravellersGuide]

I enjoyed this but its really quite funny and I laughed a lot mostly at the Hugh Grant-eyness and line delivery. It felt like a comedy sort of because of how he played it and how the camera lingered on his face... Did not like how it ended... super convienient and also kind of a sloppy way to end the movie.

[@robaquarian]

from the trailer i thought the 1st half would be better.

[@adamw116]

Yeah there's no such thing as "mansplaining". Also, 65 wasn't horrible it just wasn't great. I think there are some things in this movie which need to be explained though.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Adam, are you mansplaining to us that there's no such thing as mansplaining? :)

[@mikeainsworth9861]

A very good and thoughtful movie until the fourth act where it goes completely off the rails.

[@maimoneattia]

I'm somewhat new to horror movies, so I usually get so swept up in the last act I don't notice the flaws. Can you say more about how it went off the rails? I'm just curious. Do you mean the story and the action became too conventional, or too preposterous? Towards the end, during Hugh Grant's discussion of what religion is all about, (to him) it seemed the film was trying to justify the entire story. Did that seem contrived? Or like a good tie up? Curious what you thought.

[@Trip4man]

You know it's a movie when there's 2 American women... That are mormons 😂 Anddd you invite them inside your house. Anddd you debate them. Anddd you expect some sort of intelligent nice time 😂 I like the switch-a-rooo... I would be the one TERRIFIED. What's that??! "Do I have a wife for you to feel safe"??? Noooooo but I wish I had a police officer as a "wife" RIGHT NOW

[@thisisevan1]

The final 10 mins of this movie ruined the entire goddamned thing. A shame because it was a pretty good movie until it fell into the pits of the pits.

[@Redditfanboy-v2s]

Let's see if this is a film worth watching.

[@Rice_peace]

Please fix your mic 😭

[@jasoncarrick5461]

I was interested to see what you guys would say about this movie, I have never been a Hugh Grant fan but this looked interesting but seems to fall short......oh well........Next movie please! Lol.

[@charleswind8298]

Second half ruined the movie.

[@BottleConcreteBlond]

I was raised Mormon, don't want to see this.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Interesting, we've had several folks mention in the comments that they were also Mormon and they appreciated the authenticity here.

[@seangerant653]

voice sounds weird ??

[@iadorenewyork1]

Her voice has a nasal quality. Maybe she is a bit sick ...?

[@rickallen9099]

This is a very lame, surface level review. You don't really talk about the story/substance of the film. You make it sound like the movie is about Mormonism.

[@BreakfastAllDay]

Hi, Rick, thanks so much for watching. We're trying to avoid spoilers and instead focused on performances, writing and craft. What did you think of the film?

[@rickallen9099]

@@BreakfastAllDay you don't have to do spoilers to talk more about the substance of the movie

[@dereksimons1525]

D0uche

[@kyleb8655]

This movie is going on my worst of the year list. Boring AF