It stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as two Mormon missionaries who attempt to convert a man (Hugh Grant) who 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.
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.
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".
[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.
[14] Thatcher performs a cover version of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" set to the tune of “Fade Into You”, which plays in the end credits.
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.
[21] Peter Bradshaw, in a review for The Guardian, described the film as "gruesome and bizarre and preposterous" and highlighted the performance of Hugh Grant, calling him "suave, dapper and evil".
[9] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints itself released a statement condemning the film's portrayal of violence against women.