Mark Kermode reviews Heretic - Kermode and Mayo's Take

[@VanDeVenDerVaart]

Can't wait for this one. Hugh Grant is definitely doing his best work now.

[@andrewklang809]

It seems before Hugh Grant could fully become a great actor, he first had to stop being "Hugh Grant" the character and become Hugh Grant the character ACTOR. He started off as a charmingly befuddled romantic lead, then became a charmingly devious cad, and now he's better than ever as a charmingly sinister villain.

[@thetalentof]

Hugh had already proved his versatility long before Heretic with Extreme Measures, Remains of the Day, Maurice, A Very English Scandal, The Gentlemen, An Awfully Big Adventure, Restoration, Cloud Atlas and The Undoing.

[@alobo9937]

​@@thetalentof yes.

[@andrewklang809]

@@thetalentof Remains of the Day was a good performance in a rather small role. Much more dry. Grant has far too much natural charisma and humor to get stuck in the Merchant Ivory/heritage type films. And I don't think I'm familiar with Maurice, though now that I look it up, I definitely want to see it. Odd that I haven't heard of it when I've seen most other Merchant Ivorys and Another Country multiple times. I don't think his early Hollywood roles did him any favors whatsoever. Bridget Jones and About a Boy (and Small Time Crooks, which at least he was good in) seemed like the official transition from dreamy boy to caddish man, and I do appreciate that he took some gambles there, but he didn't seem to have much success. But after Paddington 2 and Honor Among Thieves and now this, he's going full villain-you-love-to-hate. Maybe had he beaten Branaugh out for Chamber of Secrets, he could have gotten there a little faster? Maybe maybe not.

[@Ohm521]

He is definitely growing. And its great to see.

[@james0xaf]

I felt he did a pretty good job in The Gentlemen of not being very charming at all.

[@AllInTheGame01]

Love the direction Hugh Grant's career has gone re the variety of his roles/projects over the last decade, been great to watch his evolution as an actor from the bumbling romantic lead :)

[@thepadster123]

Got to see it yesterday and absolutely loved it. Hugh Grant steals the show but Sophie Thatcher is excellent too. Imagine a Saw movie where the antagonist is Christopher Hitchens.

[@carlareac5762]

Everything Hugh Grant has done that I've seen, since and including Paddington 2 has been exceptional. His portrayal of Jeremy Thorpe was off the scale. And he singlehandedly lifted The Gentlemen out of mediocrity.

[@timbeaton5045]

Hugh Grant has become one hell of a character actor these days. From Paddington 2, to Florence Foster Jenkins to A Very English Scandal.. and beyond. Sort of tracks with the McConaissance of Mathew Mcconaughey... both stared out as RomCom "Pretty Boys" and after a hiatus have matured into brilliant actors. In everything that Grat does, that I've seen, he just seems to be enjoying himself immensely. Definitely someone who I will go see a movie on the strength of him being in the cast.

[@superyid2010]

McConnaissance, very good.

[@timbeaton5045]

@@superyid2010 I cannot claim this term as my own, BTW. In fact, I believe it was Mr. McConaughey himself who coined the term.

[@MarcDize]

I think he came up again on my radar since Paddington 2, like yeah, he voices the captain in the underhyped by glorious The Pirates animation but dear god, when He appears in Paddignton, that was something amazing for me to watch

[@carltaylor6452]

I haven't 'seen' him in anything since Pirates, and I thought that was a top performance.

[@MixologistMilo]

Think there needs to be some mention of the British accent as a sinister element amongst Americans, and Hugh Grants being particularly distinctive, adds to the tension

[@luckybag6814]

Specifically, the cultured English accent is the accent of villainy the world over. But surely no-one with that accent would ever refer to a pie simply as “pie” with neither an article nor a mention of the filling.

[@marieross]

Looking forward to this film. The trailer looks great.

[@chiefkc1306]

Good film. I enjoyed it. As most have pointed out, Hugh Grant has done a 180. Long gone are the Rom-coms. What an actor the guy is. I was pleasantly surprised to see Sophie Thatcher. I have only seen her in Yellowjackets, which is a great show.

[@alexpodell662]

Great review as always. It is really a pleasure to hear your insightful take on a film - especially horror flicks. I thought I was too old for these at 55 - but I can't wait for this one.

[@76ToneCrome]

A film called Heretic is not going to have a happy ending.

[@Themw192]

Just been to see it - loved it, as usual A24 can't miss at the moment. The camera work and lighting makes for a very claustrophobic film and the dialogue keeps you on edge as the film goes on.

[@Smokey2Mc]

Mayo always looks as if he's been made to do these reviews by gunpoint.

[@Banquet42]

He was great in Dungeons and Dragons tbf.

[@ArchieAndy27]

No spoilers, Simon ;) love how Hugh Grant seems to be embracing his villain era. He's escaped his romcom stereotype and is getting those roles where he can really demonstrate his acting chops. Keen to see this...

[@silverash63]

He's been my favourite actor for the last 10 years,I couldn't stand him before that

[@kennypcolin]

Hugh Grant having fun and doing interesting films

[@Baxyboo]

Hugh is mesmerising. Oscar surely....

[@andwrighting]

The “what-if you had afternoon tea with a psychotic Christopher Hitchens” is undeniably a fresh concept for a tense religious chiller and I sincerely believe Hugh G should get an Oscar nom for his work here. As uncle Bryn once commented about the sex and the city movie “they had a ball making the movie”, and HG is doing just that. It’s talky but nail-biting, and mostly stays the course until the final ten mins where its conclusion felt a bit “is that it?”, but on the whole it is a nicely shot movie with two strong performances from Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, and HG being note-perfect.

[@TheJidoctor]

Unpopular opinion. I've always liked the term 'elevated horror'. As a picky horror fan, the term is helpful and rarely steers me wrong. And even people who hate it find it useful as well it seems (Mark).

[@theeternalnow6506]

Yeah this one looked good from the trailer. Looking forward to this one.

[@HumanoidBoogie]

If someone offered me pie without specifying the filling I'd tell them to jog on.

[@engineeredlifeform]

I'm going to have to see this one. Many years ago, we got had some Mormon missionaries knock at our door, and ask my housemate "Have you ever wondered where the Universe came from?". 'Why, yes I have' said my ex-Catholic, PHD Astrophysicist housemate, 'come on in'. We didn't serve them pie.

[@PaulMDavidson]

Looks like a lot of fun. The folks at /r/exmormon are champing at the bit to see this one.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

This was a great, clever film with a steadily building sense of creepiness and dread. Hugh Grant was superb and chewing the scenery in every scene. It gave me some great ideas for next time the god-botherers came knocking…

[@randombutraw426]

Looks like Hugh Grant had great fun playing the villain here. When actors play against type they tend to pull it off so well.

[@benlatimer9495]

Love kermode reviews!

[@mochynddu723]

Character Actor Hugh Grant.

[@adrianmccombe625]

He has never not been good. He was cancelled by Rupert Murdoch for speaking out against his phone being hacked. He had no opportunity to make good films. He has had more opportunity because there are more diverse studios now. He is one of the only actors to have navigated cancel culture very well. He needs to be applauded for that.

[@concrete-disco]

So strange, i could have sworn I've seen this already... did it have a streaming release first?

[@billywin2289]

Decent film. Was hoping for a tad more

[@CameronBrooks]

Looks classic

[@lottefrp3683]

With this growth of social horror, I.e. being too polite to leave, break social conventions etc., I REALLY hope we get more Shirley Jackson adaptations...seems ripe for it!! Bloody terrifying. This one sounds interesting!

[@malcolmtucker7981]

So glad he has no love for the term "elevated horror"

[@jennifersun2638]

a24 is very original, but they are on the line between interesting and weird, Hereditary is a really weird movie.

[@SomaticApparition]

Thought it was promising in the first half, but completely fell apart in the second with an ever-meaningless series of twists and turns with a pretty unsatisfying conclusion IMO. Great cast though

[@Lundqvist_DJ]

This is how I felt during the trailer started well then gave me another escape room film with CGI cogs vibe, is it really better than this? Or just held together by a decent Hugh Grant performance

[@thehitherto5348]

Likeable film, but it felt like they settled for cowardly solutions at the end, not daring to provoke in any way.

[@Jan-se1nd]

"A wordy piece of cinema" Not for the current U.S. market then.

[@byteme007]

So a questionable happy ending? Sounds interesting.

[@jennifersun2638]

What is the point of religion?

[@chrismerton9918]

Control

[@DirkDierickx]

the cake is a lie

[@vocpt3776]

a great 1st hour, a final 30 minutes which seem attached to a different movie - everyone left the full screening visible disappointed - give it a miss. Great acting, directing etc, just the final act

[@scottmoyle879]

Oompa Loompa. Just saying.

[@alannicholson4928]

"He's polite, and awkward but odd and a little bit threatening" - so,... your typical atheist then. So glad a film finally shows these radical atheist types as the bad guys

[@thumper8684]

I hope it has a happy ending. The erudite satanist is such a tired trope.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

No satanists here…