Hugh Grant’s new movieHereticis one of the highest-rated horror movies of the year, currently holding a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%. Additionally,Hereticis one of the most critically-acclaimed movies of Grant’s career. Grant is an actor not commonly known for starring in horror movies, so his turn as the diabolical Mr. Reed inHereticis surprising. In addition to Grant, thecast ofHereticincludes Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, and Topher Grace.
Thestory of A24’s newest horror moviefollows two young missionaries, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, who are invited into Mr. Reed’s home to talk about their faith. However,they quickly discover that Mr. Reed is not the nice man he initially seemed to be, and get caught in a horrifying game of cat and mouse within his house. The film was written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the duo known for writingA Quiet Place, and has received a plethora of positive reviews uponHeretic’srelease.
Heretic’s Reviews Praise Hugh Grant’s Performance & The Religious Story
Hugh Grant Plays A Despicable Villain In Heretic
Reviews forHereticpraise it as one of the best horror movies of the year, and point out how menacing Hugh Grant is in the film. While the first half of the movie slowly builds up the tension as the three main characters move from room to room debating their religious beliefs,the second half shows exactly how sinister Mr. Reed is. In their review of the film,Empiredescribed Heretic as “an incredibly tense, tightly contained bottle horror, showcasing a genuinely chilling turn from Hugh Grant.”
ScreenRant’s own Mae Abdulbaki echoed this sentiment, describing Grant’s Mr. Reed as “the best kind of villain — threatening, challenging, and sharp as a knife.” Speaking on the prominent religious aspect of the film, Brian Tallerico ofRogerEbert.comnoted that while there have been a lot of horror movies about violent religious zealots,Hereticis “more of a mind game, a study in not just what stories we’re told but who has been telling them to us.”
How Heretic’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Compares To Other Horror Movies
Heretic Is One Of The Highest-Rated Recent Horror Movies
Hereticis by far the most successful film of Beck and Woods' directorial careers. WhileA Quiet Place’sRotten Tomatoes score remains higher, Beck and Woods only wrote that film. Out of the movies that Beck and Woods have directed, not all of them have been loved by critics. Their 2019 horror filmHaunthas 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, but two of their other recent projects, 2023’s65and 2015’sNightlight, have 36% and 14%, respectively.
A24’s New Horror Movie Is Even More Exciting Thanks To 2023’s Underrated $82 Million Stephen King Adaptation
A24’s upcoming horror movie Heretic reunites the star and screenwriter of an underrated 2023 Stephen King adaptation that earned $82 million.
In the lead up to the release ofHeretic, the premise of the film has been compared to other recent horror movies. WhileHeretic’sstory is quite unique, it has been compared toBarbarian, which features a creepy, hidden area within a house, andDon’t Breathe, which includes several young people stuck in a house with a much older man.Barbarianholds an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, andDon’t Breathehas a score of 88%. Therefore,Hereticis currently rated higher than both of them, which proves it is a must-watch horror film.
Heretic
Cast
Heretic, released in 2024, follows two young missionaries who must navigate a perilous test of faith when they encounter the sinister Mr. Reed after knocking on the wrong door, leading to a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.
