Heretic

Plot Summary

The narrative of Heretic unfolds in Boulder, Colorado, centring on two Mormon missionaries, the eager 19-year-old Sister Paxton and the more self-assured 20-year-old Sister Barnes. They arrive at the home of a middle-aged man named Mr. Reed, who has expressed interest in their faith. Adhering to their safety protocol, they only enter after Reed assures them his wife is home, allegedly baking a blueberry pie. Their theological discussion takes a dark turn as Reed, who claims decades of theological study, makes increasingly uncomfortable comments. The missionaries grow suspicious when they realize the pie scent emanates from a candle, and they find the front door locked. Reed reveals the door is on a timer and presents them with a cruel choice between two doors, labelled for belief and non-belief, both of which lead to the same basement.

In the basement, the women encounter a horrifying scenario orchestrated by Reed to prove his nihilistic worldview. They witness a decrepit woman die after eating poisoned pie, whom Reed claims is a prophet destined for resurrection. When a second woman impersonates the corpse and delivers a speech about the afterlife, the plan begins to unravel. Barnes deduces the deception, prompting Reed to slash her throat in an improvised attempt to maintain control. He then removes a contraceptive implant from her arm, falsely presenting it as a microchip to argue life is a simulation. Paxton discovers an underground chute leading to a series of chambers, the final one containing emaciated women in cages, revealing Reed's true motive is to demonstrate his belief that all religions are tools for controlling others.

The climax involves a violent confrontation in the basement. Paxton stabs Reed with a letter opener, but he retaliates. As they both lie wounded, Paxton prays, telling a mocking Reed she prays out of concern for others, not for material results. Just as Reed prepares to kill her, the fatally wounded Barnes reappears and bludgeons him to death with a nail-studded plank before collapsing. Paxton escapes through a vent. In the final moment, she sees a butterfly land on her hand, a fleeting image referencing an earlier conversation about an afterlife connection, before it vanishes.

Production and Development

The film was conceived by writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who were announced to be writing and directing for A24 in June 2023. The project was deeply personal for Woods, prompted by the death of his father from esophageal cancer and the subsequent existential questions. Beck and Woods cited the films Inherit the Wind (1960) and Contact (1997) as inspirations for their approach to discussing serious religious themes within an accessible, genre framework. To ensure authentic portrayals of the Mormon missionary characters and avoid clichés, the filmmakers consulted with Mormon friends throughout the writing and production process. They also benefited from the insights of stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, both of whom are ex-Mormons.

Casting saw Hugh Grant secured for the role of Mr. Reed after the directors were impressed by his multi-role performance in Cloud Atlas (2012). Chloe East was cast as Sister Paxton, with Sophie Thatcher later joining as Sister Barnes and Topher Grace taking the minor role of Elder Kennedy. Principal photography was conducted under an interim agreement during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. With a budget under $10 million, the shoot took place entirely in Vancouver, British Columbia, from October 3 to November 16, 2023. The production filmed in chronological order, an uncommon practice that helped the actors track their characters' escalating trauma. The end credits feature a cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" performed by Sophie Thatcher, arranged similarly to Mazzy Star's "Fade into You." A notable text statement in the credits declares that no generative AI was used in the making of this film, a point Woods emphasized was meant to spur industry conversation about the technology.

Release and Box Office Performance

Heretic had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024, introducing it to an international audience and critical press. Its theatrical rollout began in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 1, 2024, followed by its United States release on November 8, 2024. In the competitive pre-holiday season, the film opened against titles like The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and the wide expansion of Anora. Projections estimated an $8 million opening weekend from 3,221 theatres. The film outperformed expectations, earning $4.3 million on its first day, including $1.2 million from Thursday previews, and debuting to a solid $11 million. This placed it second at the domestic box office behind the holdover Venom: The Last Dance.

The film demonstrated strong legs for a horror title, though it experienced expected weekly declines. In its second weekend, it earned $5 million, a drop of 54.1 percent, finishing in fourth place. Its third weekend saw a gross of $2.2 million, placing seventh. The worldwide box office performance was successful, especially considering its modest budget. As of February 17, 2025, Heretic had grossed $28 million in the United States and Canada and $31.2 million in other territories, for a global total of $59.2 million. This financial outcome solidified it as a profitable venture for A24 and a model for high-concept horror on a controlled budget.

Critical Reception and Analysis

The critical response to Heretic was predominantly positive, with reviewers praising its intellectual approach to horror and standout performances. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 90 percent of 291 critics' reviews were positive, with an average rating of 7.3 out of 10. The site's consensus highlighted Hugh Grant's infectious fun playing against type and noted the film preaches the gospel of cerebral chills over cheap shocks. Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 49 critics, indicating generally favourable reviews. Audience reactions were more mixed. CinemaScore reported an average grade of C+ from polling, while PostTrak recorded a 70 percent overall positive score, and many reviews focused on Grant's departure from his typical roles.

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com called the film a marvelous blend of religious history and sociopathic behaviour, praising the performances, cinematography, and script. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the film as gruesome and bizarre and preposterous while highlighting Grant as suave, dapper and evil. The film's thematic ambition was noted in The Atlantic, where McKay Coppins framed it as a horror movie about an atheist who will not shut up. The screenplay's depth earned Beck and Woods a nomination for Best Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards. Hugh Grant's performance was recognized with Best Actor nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, the Critics' Choice Awards, and the British Academy Film Awards.

Cultural and Religious Responses

The film's specific focus on Mormon missionaries and its violent themes provoked direct responses from religious institutions and commentators. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a formal statement condemning the film's portrayal of violence against women. Following this, the Church posted an article on missionary safety, intended to assist journalists and the public with related questions. Conversely, a number of former Latter-day Saints praised Heretic for its realistic and nuanced portrayal of missionaries, suggesting it captured elements of their experience with authenticity. Christian commentators engaged with the film's philosophical arguments in various publications.

Christian apologist Robin Schumacher, writing in The Christian Post, analyzed Mr. Reed's descent into playing god, concluding his behaviour illustrated Fyodor Dostoevsky's idea that without God all things are permitted. Schumacher did, however, criticize the film for having Reed espouse the Christ myth theory, which he called a fringe hypothesis. Similarly, Bret Eckelberry's review for Plugged In critiqued the film for presenting this poorly evidenced theory as something new and shocking. These discussions highlighted how Heretic served as a catalyst for debates about faith, atheism, and the representation of religious ideas in popular cinema.

Key Filmmaking Elements and Themes

Heretic distinguishes itself within the horror genre through its commitment to psychological tension and thematic substance over conventional shock tactics. The directors, Beck and Woods, deliberately constructed a narrative that functions as a sustained philosophical debate, using the confined setting of Reed's house to create a claustrophobic arena for ideological combat. The film's horror arises not from supernatural entities but from the terrifying logical endpoint of a worldview that denies any inherent meaning or morality, embodied by Reed's clinical and manipulative cruelty. This approach aligns with their stated goal of creating a popcorn movie that seriously engages with questions of religion and existence, much like their cited influences.

The performances are central to selling this high-concept premise. Hugh Grant's casting against his typical charming persona was a calculated risk that paid off, with his performance layering a genteel menace onto Reed's fanatical certainty. Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East provide the emotional anchor, with their characters' genuine faith and growing terror making Reed's intellectual assaults feel viscerally threatening. The production's choice to shoot in chronological order in Vancouver aided this progression, allowing the actors to physically and emotionally endure the story's descent in real time. Key artistic elements include the use of the blueberry pie scent as a trigger for dread and the symbolic recurrence of the butterfly, which ties Paxton's simple expression of hope to the film's ambiguous final image.

The film's technical and narrative components work in concert to explore its core themes. Confinement and Control are manifested in the locked house and basement chambers that physically embody Reed's desire to control narrative and belief. Simulation and Authenticity are challenged through Reed's microchip ruse, which directly questions the reality of the missionaries' experiences and faith. The film critiques dogmatic control within religion while presenting Reed's atheistic nihilism as equally, if not more, dangerous in its theme of Religious Critique vs. Nihilism. Performance and Deception are central as the plot hinges on staged resurrections and impersonations, highlighting how ideology can be performed to manipulate. Finally, Female Agency and Survival are demonstrated as Paxton and Barnes ultimately thwart Reed through a combination of intellectual resistance, faith, and violent action.

Accolades and Recognition

Heretic received significant recognition during the 2024 to 2025 awards season, particularly for the performance of its lead actor. Hugh Grant's departure from his established screen persona was rewarded with nominations at several major awards bodies. He received a Best Actor nomination at the Golden Globe Awards in the category of Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama. This was followed by a nomination in the same category at the Critics' Choice Awards. His performance also earned a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the British Academy Film Awards, a notable honour for a film rooted in American genre cinema. The film's writing was acknowledged with a nomination for Best Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards for co-writers and directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

Beyond formal nominations, the film appeared on several critics' year-end lists. Filmmaker Rich Peppiatt named it one of his top ten feature films of 2024. The film received positive reviews and grossed $60 million worldwide on a budget of $10 million. This critical and commercial success cemented its status as a standout horror film of the year. The accolades highlighted Hugh Grant's performance, which earned him Best Actor nominations at the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards, and the BAFTA Awards. The filmmakers, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, also received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Screenplay.

Questions about Heretic

Where was the movie Heretic filmed?

Principal photography for Heretic took place in Vancouver. The filming occurred from October 3 to November 16, 2023. The production was granted an interim agreement allowing filming during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film was shot on a budget of under $10 million. It was also shot in chronological order.

Is Heretic based on a true story?

No, Heretic is not based on a specific true story. It is an original screenplay written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. However, the filmmakers drew inspiration from personal experience, as Woods was prompted to explore themes of life after death following the death of his father. They also conducted research and consulted with Mormon friends and ex-Mormon cast members to ensure authentic portrayals of missionary life.

What is the meaning of the ending of Heretic?

The ending of Heretic is deliberately ambiguous. After surviving the ordeal and seeing Reed killed, Paxton escapes and sees a butterfly land on her hand, referencing her earlier wish to visit loved ones as a butterfly after death. The butterfly then vanishes. This moment can be interpreted as a fleeting sign of hope or connection, or as a mere psychological echo with no supernatural meaning, leaving the question of faith and the afterlife ultimately unanswered and personal to the viewer.

How did the Mormon Church react to Heretic?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints released a statement condemning the film's portrayal of violence against women. Following this, they posted an article on missionary safety intended to assist journalists and the public with questions and concerns regarding missionary wellbeing. This official response contrasted with reactions from some former Latter day Saints, who praised the film as a realistic and nuanced portrayal of missionaries. The filmmakers had consulted with Mormon friends during production to ensure authenticity and avoid clichés in their depiction of the missionary characters. This effort at genuine representation created a complex reception within and outside the religious community.

Did Hugh Grant win any awards for Heretic?

He did, however, receive significant recognition through Best Actor nominations at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, and the BAFTA Awards. His performance as the eccentric and menacing Mr Reed was widely noted by critics, with reviews highlighting his suave and evil portrayal. This role represented a notable departure from his more typical comedic characters. The film's writers and directors, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, were also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay.

What is the box office total for Heretic?

As of February 17, 2025, Heretic has grossed a worldwide total of $59.2 million. This figure comprises $28 million from the United States and Canada and $31.2 million from other territories. The film was produced on a budget of $10 million, making it a financial success. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024 before its United States release by A24 on November 8. In its opening weekend in North America, the film debuted to $11 million, finishing second at the box office.

Sources and further reading

• Heretic (Wikipedia)
• Heretic (2024) (rottentomatoes.com)
• Heretic (2024) directed by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods (letterboxd.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-22.