by 4urealestate
38/49
Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East in Heretic and other modern women slaying the horror game
Line of Events
Two young religious women are drawn into a game of cat and mouse in the house of a strange man. The end credits music is the 1973 version of "Knocking on Heavens Door" set to the tune of "Get lost in you" by Mazzy Star. A nod to the fact that "Creep" Radiohead’s 1992 remake (for the tune) of 1974’s “The Air That I Breathe”; The Hollies, mentioned earlier in the film by Grant.
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The end credits state that no generative Al was used in the making of the film. I saw seven films at this year’s TIFF, and the one that got my vote for Best Picture was HERETIC starring Hugh Grant (who also would have gotten my vote for Best Actor if it were a voting category). I was very surprised to see him get in touch with his dark side in the HBO miniseries THE UNDOING, but here he turns it up to 11, playing a suave, religion-obsessed psychopath.
It’s a break from his schizophrenic rom-com
Also, co-stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East give excellent performances as two Mormon missionary girls who think they’re going to invite someone who wants to convert to Mormonism. But Grant turns out to be more erudite and skeptical of religion than they expected. When they realize that he is not really interested in conversion, but in discussing religion, they try to leave, only to find themselves trapped.
The result is refreshingly unconventional
Thus begins a game of cat and mouse in which Grant tests his faith. As horrors go, it’s solid, but doesn’t go to the extremes of claustrophobic horror films like FUNNY GAMES (the original) and SPEAK NO. EVIL (2022 version).
My only gripe is that the choice of Mormonism as a religion seems a bit calculated
In short, watch this movie if you’ve ever enjoyed a Hugh Grant movie and want to see him at the top of his game. I haven’t felt so confident about an Oscar nomination for a TIFF film since I saw Allison Janney in I TONY in 2017. After the movie and several people complimented me on the question I asked, “Was Richard Dawkins an influence?” Co-director Bryan Woods confirmed that it is.