TIFF 2024: Heretic Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are names that should be mentioned more often in discussions regarding modern horror, especially for their contributions to A Quiet Place. While John Krasinski has deservedly earned praise for his direction and for channeling his experience as a new parent into the film’s emotional heart, it’s easy to overlook the foundation that Beck and Woods laid with their screenplay. In a genre that often relies on dialogue to drive tension, they crafted a script that was compelling in its silence. Unfortunately, as directors they haven’t shown the same level of promise, directing duds such as 65 and Haunt.

Heretic, the latest film from the duo, marks their strongest directorial effort to date. Starring Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, the film follows two young Mormon missionaries going door to door, attempting to convert those who seem open to it. Their journey takes a dark turn when they’re invited into the home of Mr. Reed (Grant), a seemingly polite and charming man. What begins as a routine visit soon spirals into something far more sinister. The duo quickly finds themselves entangled in a religious experiment that challenges the very foundations of their faith. Beck and Woods skillfully build tension, using the claustrophobic setting and the characters’ unraveling sense of control to create an unnerving atmosphere.

The film is a sharp, intricately written deconstruction of religious fanaticism, exploring both extremes—those who blindly follow religious doctrine and those whose lives are driven by extreme skepticism. Each character is fully convinced of their worldview, leading to intense debates that are genuinely thought provoking. The dialogue is rich, blending horror with an ounce of wicked humor that not only serves to provide brief moments of levity, but also heightens the film’s underlying tension.

Grant is in a fascinating phase of his career. Once the quintessential leading man in some of the most beloved romantic comedies of the 1990s, he’s now leaning into roles that defy expectations, often playing more antagonistic characters. In Heretic, he delivers one of his finest performances, wielding his signature charm to mislead the audience, only to reveal far darker layers underneath. Grant fully immerses himself in the role, and every scene he’s in is captivating. Opposite him, Thatcher and East more than hold their own as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, sharing several scenes where the three go toe-to-toe in battles of wit. Thatcher brings an intensity and intellectual nature to her performance, while East stands out for her ability to balance humor with emotional weight, though her role is almost strangely similar to her performance in The Fabelmans. 

The film unfortunately does fall into some familiar horror tropes toward the end as it pushes its central concept too far. It is at its best when Grant and the other two leads engage in tense, thought-provoking conversations, challenging each other’s religious ideologies. Mr. Reed’s motivations and the extreme lengths he goes to prove his points feel somewhat ridiculous. The horror and thematic commentary would have been much stronger had the film reined it in, allowing for a more grounded and unsettling exploration of its ideas.

Despite its missteps, Beck and Woods penned a very strong script with some of the juiciest dialogue of the year, seamlessly blending comedy and horror. Heretic is a film that will likely please both horror fans and those looking for something more substantive and philosophical, even if it doesn’t fully succeed on either front.

still courtesy of VVS Films

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Tristan French