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Heretic (film)

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This article is about the 2024 film. For other similarly-named films, see Heretic (disambiguation) § Film and theatre.

Heretic
An old man wearing thick glasses reaches out towards two miniature dolls.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byScott Beck
Bryan Woods
Written by
  • Scott Beck
  • Bryan Woods
Produced by
  • Stacey Sher
  • Scott Beck
  • Bryan Woods
  • Julia Glausi
  • Jeanette Volturno
Starring
CinematographyChung Chung-hoon
Edited byJustin Li
Music byChris Bacon
Production
companies
  • Beck/Woods
  • Shiny Penny Productions
  • Catchlight Studios
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • September 8, 2024 (2024-09-08) (TIFF)
  • November 8, 2024 (2024-11-08) (United States)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million
Box office$43.4 million[2][3]

Heretic is a 2024 American horror film, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. It stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as two Mormon missionaries who attempt to convert a reclusive man (Hugh Grant) but realize he is more dangerous than he seems.

Heretic premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024, and was released in the United States by A24 on November 8. It received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $43.4 million worldwide to date. Grant has received Best Actor nominations at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards. Beck and Woods received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Screenplay.

Plot

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Two young missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, confident Sister Barnes and timid Sister Paxton, arrive at the home of a reclusive middle-aged man, Mr. Reed. He invites them in, assuring them that his wife is preparing a blueberry pie in the back of the house. They begin to discuss religion, with Reed making several uncomfortable comments about their Mormon faith and the nature of belief. When Reed steps out of the room, Barnes realizes that the smell of blueberry pie is from a candle, the front door is locked, and they have no phone signal.

They follow Reed to his study, where he gives them a threatening lecture arguing that all religions are adaptations of one another and claims to have found the one true religion. He gives the girls a choice of two doors to go through to exit the house: one if they still believe in God, and one if they do not. Barnes rebels, repudiating several of his claims. They enter the "Belief" door, but discover both doors lead to the same dungeon.

A decrepit woman appears, eats a poisoned pie, and dies. Reed claims that she is a prophet of God and the pair will witness her resurrection. A church elder arrives looking for the girls but leaves without hearing their screams. The prophet resurrects and describes the afterlife. Barnes rejects the prophet's description, noting its similarity to common hallucinations from near-death experiences. When Barnes gives Paxton a signal to attack Reed, he slashes Barnes' throat and claims that she will also resurrect.

After Barnes bleeds out, Reed removes a metal object from inside her arm, claiming it is a microchip that proves that Barnes was not real and the world is a simulation. Paxton recognizes the object as a contraceptive implant, and realizes that everything was orchestrated by Reed; while the girls were distracted by the elder's arrival, a second woman hid the prophet's corpse, took her place and delivered the afterlife description as scripted by Reed, adding an unplanned comment: "It's not real." Reed's killing of Barnes and attempt to convince Paxton of a simulated reality was an improvisation to cover the plan going awry. Paxton discovers an underground chute in which the Prophet's corpse was hidden and climbs down, with Reed promising it will show her the "one true religion".

Paxton finds a chamber full of emaciated women in cages, locked with the bike lock she used before entering Reed's house. She realizes Reed's conclusion: that a desire to control others is the root of all religions. Paxton stabs Reed with a letter opener, but Reed stabs her as she tries to escape. As they bleed in the basement, Paxton prays, telling Reed that it is done to show kindness to others rather than to produce material results. Reed prepares to finish her off, but Barnes, who was still alive, kills him with a plank of wood before dying. Paxton climbs out of a window and a butterfly lands on her hand; she earlier expressed a desire to be reincarnated as a butterfly that appears on the hands of her loved ones. It vanishes, leaving Paxton alone in the snowy landscape.

Cast

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Production

[edit]

In June 2023, it was reported that Scott Beck and Bryan Woods wrote and would direct the film for A24. Hugh Grant and Chloe East were cast in lead roles, with Sophie Thatcher joining later.[7] Beck and Woods said the film was inspired by the films Contact and Inherit the Wind, as films that discuss religion seriously but "in a kind of popcorn movie context". The writing of the film was prompted by the death of Woods' father from esophageal cancer, and the questions it prompted about what happens after death.[8] Wanting to ensure the missionary characters were as genuine and authentic as possible and not clichés, the filmmakers consulted various Mormon friends during the writing and production, as well as Thatcher and East, who are ex-Mormons themselves.[9]

The production was granted an interim agreement allowing filming during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[10] On a budget of under $10 million,[11] principal photography took place in Vancouver from October 3 to November 16, 2023.[12][13] The film was shot in chronological order.[14]

Thatcher performs a cover version of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", which plays in the end credits.[15]

Release

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Heretic premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024.[16][17] The film was scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on November 15, 2024,[18] before it was moved up to November 8.[19] It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland a week earlier on November 1.[1]

Reception

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Box office

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As of December 15, 2024, Heretic has grossed $27.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $15.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $43.4 million.[3][2]

In the United States and Canada, Heretic was released alongside The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Elevation, Weekend in Taipei, and the wide expansion of Anora, and was projected to gross around $8 million from 3,221 theaters in its opening weekend.[20] The film made $4.3 million on its first day, including $1.2 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $11 million, finishing second behind holdover Venom: The Last Dance.[21] The film made $5 million in its second weekend (a drop of 54.1%), and then $2.2 million in its third, finishing in fourth and seventh place, respectively.[22][23]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 250 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Hugh Grant has infectious fun playing against type in Heretic, a religious horror that preaches the gospel of cerebral chills over cheap shocks."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[25] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 70% overall positive score.[21]

LDS Church response

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A number of Mormons and ex-Mormons praised the film for its realistic and nuanced portrayal of Mormonism.[9] The LDS Church itself released a statement condemning the film's portrayal of violence against women and posted an article on missionary safety, intended to "assist journalists and the public with questions and concerns regarding the safety and well-being of missionaries".[26]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Astra Film Awards December 8, 2024 Best Horror or Thriller Feature Heretic Nominated [27]
Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller Hugh Grant Nominated
Michigan Movie Critics Guild Awards December 9, 2024 Best Actor Nominated [28]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Best Actor Nominated [29]
Best Horror/Sci-Fi Heretic Nominated
Phoenix Critics Circle Awards December 12, 2024 Best Horror Film Nominated [30]
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards December 15, 2024 Best Horror Film Nominated [31]
Best Actor Hugh Grant Nominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards December 18, 2024 Best Actor 5th Place [32]
Golden Globe Awards January 5, 2025 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Pending [33]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 12, 2025 Best Actor Pending [34]
Satellite Awards January 26, 2025 Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Pending [35]
Independent Spirit Awards February 22, 2025 Best Screenplay Scott Beck and Bryan Woods Pending [36]
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards TBA Best Actor Hugh Grant Pending [37]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Heretic (15)". British Board of Film Classification. September 25, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Heretic – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Heretic (2024)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (June 25, 2024). "Heretic Trailer: Hugh Grant Lures Pair Of Missionaries Into Cat-And-Mouse Game In A24 Horror Film From A Quiet Place Duo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "Heretic". A24 Publicity. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Hullender, Tatiana (September 25, 2024). "Hugh Grant & Heretic Team Talk Exploring Mormonism Through A Horror Lens [TIFF]". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Galuppo, Mia (June 9, 2023). "The Fabelmans Breakout Chloe East in Talks for A24 Thriller from Scott Beck, Bryan Woods (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  8. ^ Lussier, Germain (November 8, 2024). "New Horror Movie Heretic Was Inspired by Robert Zemeckis' Contact". Gizmodo. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Horton, Adrian (November 12, 2024). "'I feel like that was me': how have Mormons reacted to Hugh Grant horror Heretic?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Hipes, Patrick (August 16, 2023). "SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements: Full List Of Movies And TV Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  11. ^ Coyle, Jake (November 10, 2024). "Heretic and Hugh Grant debut with $11 million, but Venom: The Last Dance tops box office again". Associated Press. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  12. ^ "In Production British Columbia". Creative BC Film Commission. August 18, 2023. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  13. ^ Kay, Jeremy. "Directors Scott Beck, Bryan Woods talk courting Hugh Grant for their TIFF religion horror Heretic". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  14. ^ Wittmer, Carrie (October 28, 2024). "'Heretic' Star Chloe East Talks Working With Hugh Grant". L'Officiel USA. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  15. ^ Martoccio, Angie (November 7, 2024). "Sophie Thatcher channels Mazzy Star on her cover of Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "Heretic". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 22, 2024). "TIFF Galas & Special Presentations Lineup Includes World Premieres From Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, Gia Coppola; Starry Pics With Jennifer Lopez, Lily James, Dave Bautista; Int'='l Premieres Conclave & Piece By Piece, More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  18. ^ D’Alessandro, Anthony (May 30, 2024). "A24 Dates Fall & Holiday Slate With 'The Front Room', 'A Different Man', 'We Live In Time', 'Heretic' & 'Baby Girl'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  19. ^ Navarro, Megan (September 19, 2024). "Heretic 2nd Trailer Brings New Release Date and Closer Look at Hugh Grant's Sinister Villain". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  20. ^ "Hugh Grant's 'Heretic' Could Scare Off 'Venom 3' This Weekend; Curtains Lift On 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "'Venom: The Last Dance' $18M+, 'Christmas Pageant' & 'Heretic' Remain In Dead Heat For No. 2 With $12M+ Apiece – Veterans Day Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 17, 2024). "Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans' $200M+ Christmas Action Movie 'Red One' Opening To $34M: Is It A Bomb Or A Streamer's Rounding Error? — Saturday AM Box Office". Deadline. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  23. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 24, 2024). "'Wicked' & 'Gladiator II' AKA 'Glicked' Fuel $205M Combined Weekend, Best Pre-Thanksgiving Frame In 11 Years — Sunday AM Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  24. ^ "Heretic". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 7, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  25. ^ "Heretic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  26. ^ Kessler, Mori (November 16, 2024). "'Heretic' film prompts LDS church response from Utah officials regarding missionary safety". St. George News. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "2024 Astra Film Awards Nominations". November 25, 2024.
  28. ^ https://www.michiganmoviecritics.com/michigan-movie-critics-guild-announces-winners-for-the-best-of-2024/
  29. ^ https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2024-las-vegas-film-critics-society-lvfcs-winners/
  30. ^ https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2024-phoenix-critics-circle-pcc-winners/
  31. ^ "The 2024 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  32. ^ https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2024-dallas-fort-worth-film-critics-association-dfwfca-winners/
  33. ^ Barnard, Matthew (December 9, 2024). "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 82nd ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES®". Golden Globes. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  34. ^ Grein, Paul (December 12, 2024). "'Wicked' & 'Conclave' Lead 2025 Critics Choice Awards Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  35. ^ https://www.pressacademy.com/2024-nominees/
  36. ^ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (December 4, 2024). "Spirit Awards 2025 Nominations: 'Anora' and 'I Saw the TV Glow' Lead Film Categories, 'Shōgun' Rules TV". Variety. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  37. ^ "The 2024 EDA Award Nominees". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
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