By Steve Crum

Of the dozens and dozens of movies about haunted houses ever produced, there are some standouts. (I am not counting the comedy hh movies, led by The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.) Still scary are House on Haunted Hill, The Amityville Horror, and The Others. The best of the bunch remains a tie between 1963’s atmospheric The Haunting and 1944’s The Uninvited.

Now we have 2024’s Heretic, a foreboding horror movie co-directed and written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The duo have restructured the standard haunted house formula with the violence of Saw. Then add a huge dose of faith elements.  

As opposed to Beck and Woods’ 2018 horror hit, the well named A Quiet Place, Heretic is packed with 111 minutes of nearly nonstop sounds of religious discussion (mainly by Hugh Grant’s character), as well as creaks, moans and screams. (Cue the sound effects!)

Mr. Reed (Grant) is the heretic of the title, a guy who claims he has studied Christianity and other religions. Yet he lives alone in this secluded old mansion, unable to discuss his knowledge. It turns out to be extremely biased “knowledge.” He yearns to share what he has learned with the front that he is interested in Mormonism. Naturally, Mr. Reed requests the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to send a couple of missionaries to his home. In quick time, the two missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), are knocking at his door…at sundown on a rainy, windy day. 

The two reluctantly come inside, even though Reed’s wife is nowhere to be seen. “She’s in the kitchen,” he says. 

So begins a lethal game of wits, fear, and detective work on the part of the young ladies. 

The story escalates into terror once it is discovered the front door is locked and now unusable. Creepy becomes CA-REEPY. The women are imprisoned. 

Prepare for their wild ride of making a “Lady or the Tiger” choice; Mr. Reed’s unending mind games; a visit from a cloaked prophet (?); and touring the house mazes. It is all familiar territory for a haunted house story, held together by the extraordinary work of Hugh Grant. 

Who knew he could be so hellishly manipulative and controlling?

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B-